


Noelle's Gift

by sadhorse



Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Anxiety, Asgore doesn't live like a bum, BBW, Bullying, Burping, Check back often, Deltarune Spoilers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/F, Farting, Fat - Freeform, Fat Girl, Fat fetish, Feeding, Feeding Kink, Feelings, Female Monster Kid (Deltarune), Fetish Content, Fetish fic with plot, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Food, Food Kink, Frequently Rewritten Segments, Futa Susie, Futanari, Gas Kink, Give me comments dang it, Headcanon, Homelessness, Humor, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I am tagging this instead of writing it, I dunno if this will ever be 'finished', Lesbians, Male Kris (Deltarune), My First Work in This Fandom, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-Deltarune, Shemale, Shemale Susie, Side-character romance, Someone stop me, Story before smut, Stuffing, Suselle is a treasure, Teacher Toriel (Undertale), Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, There may be sex, Toriel holds a grudge, Useless Lesbians, Weight Gain, Weight Gain Kink, Weight Issues, dickgirl, dickgirl character, everyone come see my baby, f/f - Freeform, headcanons galore, insert joke tag here, mostly PG13, ssbbw, suselle, weird kinks, you want it when?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-12-26 20:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18289910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadhorse/pseuds/sadhorse
Summary: It's almost Christmas, and Noelle is still pining after a certain purple lizard.Will her friends be able to help her figure out the gift that will win Susie's heart?





	1. Noelle's Dream

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: I frequently come back to edit certain segments of the story, so check back now and again! They're usually smaller - fixing typos and stuff - but sometimes I rewrite or add paragraphs/information.
> 
> Please note, that this story contains content from various niche fetishes. However, I will provide warnings for what the content is included in the story, as well as write them in as palatable manner as I can for people who have enjoyed the actual plot, but not the fetish content. 
> 
> Feedback is greatly appreciated!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noelle has a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This really just started as a free writing exercise then just swelled into a full fledged story. I have plenty of ideas for this, just trying to squeeze them all together in a fun and fascinating way.
> 
> This is probably going to be a really slow burn, with more focus on story and romance than fetish content. It will be there, however, don't you worry. And I'm going to try my utmost to make it enjoyable.
> 
> CONTENT WARNINGS: Swearing, descriptions of fatness, teenage drama and self doubt.

* * *

  _She would come._

_I could feel it in my bones as I struggled against the Evil’s rusted chains, the nigh-formless beast of pure wickedness looming over me, gloating over my capture._

_“Quiver and squirm, Princess Noelle! You will not escape me this time!” It bellowed, laughing at me._  
  
                _“That’s where you’re wrong, Evil!” I spat back, rattling the chains that kept me tethered to the wall. “She’ll come! She’ll protect me!”_  
  
_The beast bellowed out another vicious laugh – gross, slimy saliva dripping out of its cavernous maw. “Who will? Who is great enough to best ME? The EVIL?! Who is awesome and brave enough to even break into my fortress?!”_  
  
_“Me.” Said a third voice. It was husky and masculine, but still had a subtle drip of femininity. I turned my head as best I could to watch the wall explode, a large figure backlit by the sun outside, the Evil hissing at the exposure. She shouldered a large battle axe and smiled. I could see her sharp teeth gilt even in the low light of the rancid dungeon._  
  
_She had come!_  
  
_“Lady Susie!” I cried out to my most loyal – and attractive – Knight._  
  
_“FOOL! You may have found my lair, but you will not leave alive!” The Evil pounced with a terrifying shriek._  
  
_Lady Susie just grinned a bit wider, the shine of her golden eyes piercing past her dark aubergine hair. With one swing of her mighty axe, she cut the creature in twain!_  
  
_“Oh no! I have been slain! She is simply too great!” The Evil cried, as it melted to the floor. Its spell broken, the chains shattered, and I fell into my awaiting Knight’s powerful arms._  
  
_I looked up at her, and she looked down at me, carrying me like a bride. Her hair billowed gently in the wind, as my dress’s skirt billowed gently over her mighty biceps._  
  
_“You came…” I whispered, awestruck by her rugged beauty._  
  
_“Oh my love…you know I’ll always rescue you…” She said, slowly leaning down. I leaned upward, puckering my lips, about to enjoy yet another kiss from my greatest protector and lover…_  
  
                _…When she suddenly started singing ‘Here comes Santa Claus’._

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                Noelle awoke to her novelty alarm clock singing. The dungeon was gone, it was just her in her bedroom, snuggled up under her covers. She could hear the birds tweeting outside her window as the early morning sun crept into her room, illuminating the dark space to her tired eyes.  
  
                She had that dream again. And yet again, she woke up before she got to taste Susie’s lips.  
  
                Suffice to say it was something that annoyed her greatly.  
  
                The doe reached her arm out from under her sheets and hit the top of her Santa Claus clock’s head. The song stopped abruptly, and she rolled onto her back in bed, watching her ceiling fan rotate above her head.  
  
                “. . .Dang it.” She sighed.  
  
                Noelle closed her eyes and tried to will herself back to sleep. Maybe if she started sleeping again, she’d be able to see the end. That’s how dreams worked right?! She tried to reimagine the dream in her head, but to no avail. It was falling out of her mind like all dreams did, even the chronic ones. The details were getting more and more hazy with every second that passed. Were there two evils? One? Was Susie dressed like that character from Ending Fantasy VII? Or was she dressed like the one from Earth Emblem IV? Try as she might, she couldn’t remember.  
  
                She opened her eyes again, to find herself once more in her bedroom. A wave of sadness washed across her mind, doubt following close behind. Would she ever get that kiss? Would she ever tell Susie her feelings? Would she ever…  
  
                Her mind fought back, and she sat up in bed, determination sparking in her heart and spreading through her body. _No! I will get that kiss! One day. It’s just a matter of time, I know it!_ She thought to herself, clenching her fist. The tides of doubt receded, and she found herself smiling. _Yeah. One day…just be patient._

                Her fears beaten back, she stretched her limbs, let loose a soft, steady yawn, and went about her morning. She hopped out of her bed and shed her pajamas, wandering into the bathroom in her birthday suit. A few moments of messing with the shower fixtures, and she was in, singing to herself as she washed up.  
  
                She finally got out of the shower dripping wet, carefully wrapping a towel around herself before sitting in front of her mirror. A quick pimple check…clear. She made sure her horns weren’t getting sharp, then grabbed her brush. A hundred strokes of her golden hair, she made sure of this. It was the only way it would keep its luster. She ran the bristles through her hair with practiced precision, counting to herself.  
  
                A hundred strokes were over before she knew it, and she got up, drying herself off a little bit more with the towel around her body. Its job done, she placed it carefully in her dirty clothes hamper, and started to wander back to her room.  
  
                Suddenly, she stopped. She caught a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye as she passed a tall mirror. She turned to face it…and her heart sank.  
  
                The monster that looked back at her was not Princess Noelle Holiday, the gorgeous, shapely figure of immaculate beauty. No. It was just Noelle Holiday. Fat, nerdy teenager. The doe frowned, placing a hand on her belly…it seemed like it was sagging lower than usual. She couldn’t even see her doehood at this point. She turned to her side, and grimaced as she noticed how much of a shelf her rear had become, wobbling with each movement and reminding her of how many times she had got it stuck in various spaces over time. A back roll – small but still noticeable – sat above it, leading into the love handles of her muffin top. Her thighs could only be described as ‘thunder thighs’, a fact that some bullies at school loved to remind her of. Even her arms had packed fat on, small sacks of flesh leading into her elbows and wobbling whenever she moved her arms.

                Though perhaps worst of all, was the fact that her breasts were still…small. Granted, they were larger than most girls her age, but when placed next to her flabby stomach, double chin and wide hips, they looked minuscule by comparison.  
  
                Noelle whimpered, chewing her bottom lip as her ears drooped. Slowly she peered over at the scale in her bathroom. Did she dare? Did she truly dare?  
  
                With bated breath, she waddled over, and stepped on the scale, looking down…  
  
               _229 lbs._

The numbers were burned into her mind like a laser. How did she let herself go this bad?

                Noelle frowned deeply and tried to make her stomach to shrink by force of will. She kneaded and shook it, as if trying to force down into her torso. All she did was make it glorp and gurgle and growl, reminding her that she hadn’t had breakfast yet. She dropped her hands to her sides and slouched, sighing as she went back to starting her day.

                Who was she kidding? She’d never get that kiss…

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                It was a cold day in Hometown, as Noelle trudged through the snow on her way to school. It wasn’t too far, really down the street if anything. It was good exercise!  
  
                _Which is what I need._ She thought, holding her head up high and powering through the slush. _Gotta lose this belly…_  
  
                Before she went through the gate from her yard, she made her usual check that she had her keys with her, patting her skirt pockets carefully. The young doe grimaced as she felt her body wobble inside her winter clothes. She could feel her cheeks heat up and redden out of embarrassment, but not simply because she had let herself grow so large…oh no! It was because she realized that the jiggling…felt kind of nice, in a weird way. And it was that fact that disgusted her. No, this was not a good thing. She would be a fat blob if she let herself go the way she was going!  
  
                She thrust those thoughts into the back of her mind, hoping they would wither and die from lack of attention as she opened the gate and stepped through.  
  
                The subdivision beyond was simple enough, little cookie cutter homes strewn about on each block, a nice little backyard for each of them. A snowplow driven by a canine monster moved by to clear the roadways of the fresh snow. He waved at Noelle, and she waved back. It was nice.  
  
                Noelle really loved this little town, it was so quaint and homey, it kept her spirits up. She especially loved it when it was under a crisp white blanket of winter. Her worries about her weight started to dissolve as she took in the fresh air in one big breath and sighed happily. Yeah, this was great for her.  
  
                Her spirits renewed, the doe gingerly crossed the street – after looking both ways of course – and stopped by the first little house she came to. It was the Katsburg house, a family of feline monsters, and effectively the Holiday’s first neighbors. It was also the home of Noelle’s best friend, Catti Katsburg, whom she usually walked to school with.  
  
                Seeing that her friend wasn’t outside waiting for her already, Noelle checked her watch before trotting up to the door and knocking. There was no response…but her sensitive ears could pick up the relatively quiet sound of someone playing a ukulele before the door opened up.  
  
                “Hey Noelle,” murmured Catti, the ukulele music getting louder as the door opened. The earmuff wearing monster hefted her bookbag onto her shoulder and stepped across the threshold, closing the door behind her. A soft sigh of relief rolled past her lips, before she adjusted her ‘muffs, eying Noelle with the same disinterested expression she gave…well…everyone.

                Catti was a short monster, shorter than Noelle by a few inches. But what she lacked in height she made up for in her stocky physique. Suffice to say, Catti was fairly overweight – then again most of her family was. Noelle always figured it was just a family trait. She had white fur and black hair with a pink streak going through one of her bangs. She wore dark make up around her eyes and had a tight, golden hoop on each ear.  
               

                The doe would be lying if she said the large physique of her friend didn’t make her feel better about her own weight.  
  
                “Hey Catti!” Noelle said cheerily, giving a bright smile, before letting it melt into a look of mild concern. “. . .Your sister practicing her ukulele again?”  
  
                “Yeah.” Catti flatly responded, as she walked around Noelle and started their journey.  
  
                “Well…a-at least it sounds like she’s getting better, right?” Noelle scrambled a few steps to keep up, walking next to her friend.  
  
                “. . .It’s torture.” Catti deadpanned, pulling off one of her mittens to click and tap on her phone. Noelle had gotten used to that, the feline just loved to tinker with tech. Besides, she didn’t really feel like talking anyway, quietly contemplating things.

 _I wonder what Susie would think about my dream…_ she thought to herself. _Would…she think it’s creepy? Or romantic? Probably creepy. I mean…who has a dream about someone they barely really know?_ Noelle focused on the ground in front of her as she thought, walking silently next to Catti. _I really don’t know about the chalk as a Christmas gift. I mean. Who gives chalk to someone as a gift? That’s just silly. But…what if Kris is right and that’s the perfect present…then again, he’s not exactly the most trustworthy person…oh golly, I hate thinking things like that. I feel like I should apologize to h-_

                “You had that dream again, huh?” Catti’s dour voice made Noelle jump out of her thoughts, nearly dropping her books.

                “Wha!? N-No! Uh…what dream? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The deer laughed nervously, blushing. Catti just turned to her and gave her a disappointed look, as if to say ‘You’re a terrible liar’. Noelle’s sheepish smile turned to a frown, as she turned her head and focused back on the ground. “Y-Yeah. I…I did.”  
  
                “Warrior Princess or Knight?”

                “Knight this time.”

                The feline chuckled a little. “You really should ask her out, you know.”

                “N-No…I…I couldn’t! I’d freak out! And then I’d make a fool of myself…remember last time I tried to talk to her, and I ended up flipping out and running into a locker?!” Noelle sure did, even if that was years ago.

                “Yeah. But she probably won’t.” Catti swiped on her phone, her slight smirk disappearing for her usual blank look. “Even if she did though, you’re just torturing yourself not acting on your feelings.”

                “Y-Yeah but…W-What if she doesn’t like me? What if she doesn’t like my hair or my voice or my clothes…” Noelle began, twirling a finger around her golden locks. “W-What if she thinks I’m too fat?”

                “Then fuck her.” Was her plain answer. Noelle blinked at the sudden curse from her friend – that was one thing she never could get used to. “If she doesn’t like those things, then she’s not worth getting upset over.” Catti paused briefly, before looking to her friend. “And there are worse things than being fat.”

                Noelle rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding eye contact. “S-Sorry Catti. I’ve just…not been at my best in the…self-esteem front.”

                “It happens.” There was silence, as Catti seemed to process her words. “But hey. I think you’re pretty.”

                “Heh heh…” Noelle blushed as her friend smiled to her. “Thanks, Catti. You look great too.”

                They walked a few more houses down, before Noelle’s ears perked up at the sound of feet forcefully hitting snow. Catti spoke before she could find the source. “Hey. There’s your chance.” She stated calmly, nonchalantly pointing to two figures climbing over a fence. One was short and androgynous, wearing a thick sweater with a single stripe running horizontally across it. And one was much, much larger.

                Noelle’s heart froze. _Susie._

                Susie was a giant among monsters, towering over even some adults at what Noelle could only assume was over six and a half feet tall. She was a reptilian monster, with long, disheveled eggplant colored hair complete with bangs that covered her eyes and dark purple skin. Her clothes – usually more ragged – were patched up rather expertly, making her look a little less like what some would describe as a street punk. Even so, her clothes did little to hide her burly body, with biceps thick as Noelle’s thighs. She had been eating well, as a noticeable pot belly and widened hips had replaced her formerly rock-hard features. Giant feet in steel toed boots are what anchored her to the world, crunching the snow beneath her into slurry as she walked with Kris.

                She laughed from something the human said, throwing her head back and making her large teeth glisten in the early morning sun. Most people were scared of those chompers, but Noelle…found an odd comfort in them. They reminded her of a mother crocodile, fierce yet protective.

_Maybe I need to stop watching so many nature documentaries…_

                “See, she’s gained weight too.” Catti said, before forcibly shoving Noelle towards the duo, making her squeak. “Go get her, tiger.”

                “B-But Catti! I…I can’t! I feel so frumpy this morning and I’m not even wearing any make up and this isn’t the best color for my com-“ The frightened doe rambled, turning and pleading to her friend.

                Catti just gave a deadpan expression and looked past her. “Hey Kris! Susie!” She called out, waving them closer.

                Noelle wanted to die from fright. Her stomach gurgled thoroughly with so much nervous energy she felt like she was going to explode. She didn’t turn from Catti as she heard the footsteps in the slush get closer, until the feline forcibly turned her trembling form around.

                “Hey Catti, Noelle, what’s up?” Asked Kris, smirking. “Cold enough for you?”

                “Pretty cold, yeah.” Catti muttered, briefly looking up from her phone. There was an awkward silence for a moment as the cat and the human shared glances. Kris’s smile turned into a smug grin as he pieced what was going on together, ever perceptive as he was.  He looked to Noelle as she trembled, then up to Susie, who seemed to be more interested in something off in the distance than Catti or Noelle.

                Catti jabbed Noelle in the gut, making her grunt and bringing her out of her very convincing deer-in-headlights impression. Gathering her strength, she spoke in the steadiest voice she could muster.

                “H-Heyeah! S-Sure is a cold one, huh?!” She shakily muttered. She couldn’t believe it. Beads of Sweat was pouring from her brow and it was still so cold. She could practically feel them freeze to her face. “C-Colder than last year, h-huh?!” An awkward laugh that stopped abruptly as that large reptilian head shifted to look down at her.

                “I…guess?” Susie answered in her characteristic husky voice. She idly pushed some hair back behind her non-existent ears and then jabbed a finger towards Noelle, making her cringe. “Is…she okay?” She addressed Catti, but Noelle spoke up. She had to salvage this!

                “I-I’m fine! Just a little cold is all! This sweater isn’t as t-thick as it looks!” The doe made a shivering motion, rubbing her arms. She could swear she heard Catti sigh and roll her eyes, but she was still paying attention to that plum colored goddess before her.

                Susie seemed to mull this over for a bit, before she removed her tattered book bag. “Hold this for a bit, nerd.” She said to Kris, dropping her bag in the human’s arms. She then started taking off the ill-fitting hoodie she was wearing over her usual clothes. “Here. Don’t fit me anymore anyway.” She added, tossing the hoodie over Noelle.  
  
                Noelle was…dumbfounded. Was Susie…really like she hoped she was? Did she actually like her? Or was this just a round about way to get rid of a tight article of clothing? Whichever it was, Noelle appreciated it immensely. She had to resist grabbing one of the sleeves and inhaling its scent, just to see what Susie smelled like. “I…t-thanks…Susie.” Was all she could say, letting the garment drape over her shorter form.

                The reptile grabbed her bag from her companion and snorted, thumbing her nose. “Meh. Don’t mention it,” She shrugged her heavy shoulders, shouldering her bookbag again.

                There was an awkward silence for a few moments, before Kris chimed in. “Anyway…we really should get going. See you in class.” He said, giving a mock salute to the two girls, before he and Susie went on their way.

                Catti smirked, looking to Noelle. “See? That wasn’t hard. And you even got a sweat stained prize.”

                Noelle just blinked, looking at the old, unwashed hoodie haphazardly hanging off her form. She decided to give into temptation, and grabbed the sleeve, giving a long, curious sniff.

                There was silence, before Catti spoke again. “What’s it smell like?”

                Noelle sighed softly. “Heaven…”

* * *

 

  
<♥♥♥>


	2. Susie's Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having dinner with Kris falls through, Susie falls back into an old habit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2. This one was tricky to find a right balance with. I always feel kind of lame for making Susie's backstory so angsty but hey, it's kind of a requirement, considering her character.
> 
> Content warnings: Language, teenage homelessness, general sadness.

               

* * *

 

 _That felt pretty good._ Susie thought to herself, smiling as she trudged through the snow next her friend Kris.

                She wasn’t entirely sure what had come over her, giving Noelle her hoodie like that, but she was glad she did it. It made her feel good about herself, and lord knows she needed every scrap of positive feeling she could muster.

                “Yoooou likeee her…” Kris said singsongingly, grinning at the reptile.

                Her expression went from a pleasant smile to an annoyed sneer, her skin flushing a deeper purple. “W-What? No! She was fucking cold man, I was just trying to be helpful.”

                “Suuuure you were.” The human continued, folding his arms behind his head and looking smug. Oh, how Susie hated that smug look. “♫Susie and Noelle, sitting in a tree~♪” Her mischievous friend sang, making her grit her teeth.

                “Dude, what are you, five? Cut it the fuck out.”

                “♫K-I-S-S-I-“ Kris grunted as Susie grabbed him by the collar, hoisting him up and letting his feet dangle. Her golden eyes glared at him from beneath her bangs, but he wasn’t fazed. He just seemed pleased he got a rise out of her, which annoyed her even more. Still, he relented after a few moments of hanging in Susie’s grasp. “Okay, okay, I’ll cut it out.”

                “Good.” Susie growled, letting him drop back to the ground. He stumbled a little before regaining his footing, and the two started walking again. Silence now overwhelmed their walk, which Susie took advantage of to think.

                Truth be told? Kris wasn’t wrong. Susie did like Noelle. Who wouldn’t? She was the sweetest, kindest, friendliest girl in school, perhaps the whole town. Not to mention the fact that she was quite pretty. Her mind started to drift, imagining hypothetical situations where they might date. Maybe she should ask her out sometime? A slight smile started to drift across her features at the thought.

                It soon melted away as she continued to think. It deformed into a frown, and the lizard hung her head, intent on watching her large feet kick through the snow. _Come on. Who are you kidding?_ She thought to herself. _Girl like that would never be interested in a no-good punk like you. She’s so out of your league you might as well be on another planet._ _You-_

                Susie recognized she was going down a bad path, and shook her head, finally speaking to drown out the negative voices in her head. “So…Noelle’s getting fat, huh?”  
  
                This was a poor direction to go. Susie immediately regretted it. She needed to get better at small talk.

                “Huh? Oh…yeah. I guess. What’s the big deal?” Kris stated off handedly, looking towards Susie. He then grinned. “I mean, it’s not like she’s the ONLY one…” he added, reaching over and patting the saurian’s pot belly, chuckling as it bounced. Susie couldn’t help but feel her cheeks darken. “Fatty fatty fat fat.”

                Susie growled and bonked him on the head firmly, blushing and gritting her teeth. “Hey, fuck off! Personal space dude!” She sneered. “Don’t you know how to talk to a girl?”

                “Sure, I do!” He said, rubbing his head. “But I don’t see any around here.” He said with another mischievous smirk.

                Susie growled, but soon she just started smirking, and laughed. “Ah…fuck. Why do I even hang out with you? You’re such a pain in the ass!”

                “Because you love me of course!”

                “Don’t be sappy.” Susie warned, as the two finally pushed past the doors to the school. “Seriously though. Not my fault your mom makes good shit.”

                “Oh yeah. And she loves you coming to dinner. Every night.” Kris deadpanned. “I mean, why don’t you just move in at this point? We have an extra room you know.”

                Susie bit her lip, thankful her bangs covered her eyes. “Nah man. I got my own place. I’m just…a lousy cook is all.” She wasn’t lying…she just wasn’t telling the truth.

                “What about your folks?”

                “Lousy cooks, all of them!” The half truth was stretching, and Susie hoped it didn’t break.

                “Mmm.” Was all the response her friend could muster, entering the combination to his locker and opening it up. “You know. Come to think of it…I’ve never met them. And you don’t talk about them much.”

                The reptile cringed, “What? Do you talk about YOUR parents constantly?” She spat at him, eager to move the conversation away from this awful junction. “They’re just…busy a lot. I’m on my own most of the time.” Try all of the time. Before Kris could continue, Susie interrupted him with a change of subject. “So, you going to the dance?” She asked, noticing a flier on a nearby bulletin board. It was a good enough conversation topic as any in a pinch.

                “What?” Kris looked up at her, and then followed her gaze to the board in question. “The Springtime Dance?” He gave her a confused look, but shrugged, and turned back to his locker, rearranging his school supplies. “Probably? I mean…that’s kind of far off, Susie.”

                “Hey man, you gotta think about shit like this ahead of time. Find a date, you know.” Susie breathed a silent sigh of relief, happy the conversation was steered elsewhere before she had to construct a web of lies. Kris was her friend, yeah, but she still felt more comfortable not unloading her issues on him.

                They were her issues, and she wasn’t going to let her still brand-new friend shoulder her burdens.

                She just couldn’t subject him to that.

                “Ah…right. Because that’s going to happen. I usually just go because Mom chaperones. It’s pretty boring sitting at home alone anyway.” The human shrugged, closing his locker and replacing the lock. “What, are you going?”

                Susie…didn’t have an answer for that. She wasn’t one for dances…in fact she had never been to one. Still, one of her best qualities was her ability to play it cool…and be vague. “Yeah, maybe. But probably not. That shit is for losers.”

                “Whatever, Susie.” Kris scoffed, shouldering his bag once more. “Come on, let’s get to class.”

                “Yeah yeah.” Susie hated class. One of the reasons she grew her bangs out is so she could sleep through it. And she could never get enough sleep. But, after their dark world adventures, Susie had promised herself to make the attempt to be a better person in all aspects of her life.

                Even if she felt the chances of that happening were slim at best…

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

_It was going down. I was going to take it down. It had attacked my friends, my love, my home. And it was going to taste my axe. I stared into the tentacled horror’s gnashing, gaping maw and I didn’t feel scared._

_The only things in my mind? To protect my friends. To be a **hero.**_

_“Susie! Heeelp!” Noelle cried, the adorably blubbery doe being squeezed tight by the creature’s tentacles. It squeezed harder around her obesity, squishing her beautiful flab and making her cry out in fear and pain. The very fact it had sullied her perfection with its grotesque touch made my blood boil and my heart pound. The squeezing only made me even more angry._

_Ralsei, Kris - they called out to me too, also trapped in the creature’s awful grasp._

_"I’m simply too fluffy and wussy to fight this alone!” The fluffy dark prince cried out in his typical, wimpy, posh accent._

_“Susie, I’m too much of a wimp to fight this thing! You’re the only one cool enough to do it!”_

_I tightened my grip on my battle axe, flicking my hair back with my other hand, and thrust a finger towards the beast. “YOU’RE GOING DOWN, BITCH!” I yelled, to the top of my lungs, and charged._

_The creature roared, spewing glowing goop and drool at me, flailing its tentacles to try and stop my charge. But I just kept coming. I chopped what came to me, let the hits fall off my awesome body like they were nothing. Because it **was** nothing. Nothing compared to me. Nothing compared to the legendary hero I was._

_I was **everything.**_

_I pushed off the ground, leaping into the air as high as I could go. This creature was going to pay._

_It was the villain._

_I was the **hero.**_

**_I couldn’t lose._ **

_As I brought my axe down on the creature, it sprayed me with its juices and squirmed in agony. But I wasn’t done yet. Its punishment had only just begun. I was going to chop it until it was nothing but a bloody pulp I could smash beneath my boots._

_I raised my axe over my head again, preparing for a second strike. Bellowing out mighty cry, I brought the axe down again…_

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

“SUSIE.”

The sound of her name made Susie’s eyes shot open. What happened? Where was the monster? Her gaze was blurry, and she felt something warm and wet on her mouth and cheek.

It was a dream. She had been sleeping, head on her desk. And apparently drooling.

She blinked a few times, her gaze meeting a poster with a happy young monster sitting on a stack of books, while reading one. ‘Books!’ The poster happily exclaimed, as if it was the answer to all life’s problems.

If only books could solve her problems.

She lifted her head to find herself in Alphys’s class room, looking up at an impatient Kris. His arms were crossed in irritation as he pursed his lips and quirked a brow.

“Finally.” He said, sighing and shaking his head.

“. . .I fall asleep again?” Susie said with a chuckle, smacking her lips a little.

“Yeah. You did. Again.” He muttered, crossing his arms. “You’re lucky Ms. Alphys is so non-confrontational.” He paused, and rolled his eyes, smirking.  “. . .And scared of you.”

Susie arched her back and stretched all four limbs, groaning softly. “Yeah yeah.” She flippantly responded, wiping drool from her face. The lizard peered about the room, to find they were the only ones there.

How long had she been asleep? The orange, late afternoon sun was starting to shine through the windows behind her. She hefted herself up out of her desk, cracking her neck and shouldering her bookbag. “So how long did I last this time?”

“Till after lunch. New record for you.” Kris answered, as the two started their walk out of the classroom.

“Aw man…seriously? I don’t…I don’t even remember anything since we got here.” Susie rubbed the back of her neck, trying to think back. The school day was just one big blur.

“Good to know you’re paying attention; do you know it’s past five o’clock?” Kris grumbled, as the two left the building together. “You’re lucky I had to help mom with some filing, or else I wouldn’t have been here to wake you.”

“Ah, uh. Sorry man.” Susie blushed a bit, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “Oops?”

 “Eh…no big deal.” Kris relented, shrugging his shoulders.

They walked for a short while, before Susie spoke up again. “So…what’s your mom making for dinner tonight, anyway?” She asked with a smile. She could feel her stomach churn with hunger and was eager to know what she was in for tonight.

Kris didn’t answer, he just ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Susie turned to him, her smile slowly disappearing. “...Kris?”

“Yeah…uh. About that.” He began, his voice apprehensive. “I’m…actually going to go visit my dad tonight…so…”

Susie’s heart sank.

“I mean…you could go talk to her, and she’d probably make you something!”

“…Nah. It’s cool,” Susie waved dismissively. “I mean, that’d be awkward, right? It’s not like I’m her kid or anything.” The reptile forced a smile. “I’ll just have to deal with my shitty cooking tonight, I guess.” She followed that up with a half-hearted chuckle.

Kris chuckled awkwardly along with her. “Yeah. Guess so.”

Susie walked with him for a little longer, until she came to her stop. Or rather, the spot in which she chose to part ways with Kris. She wanted to stay with him, at least walk him to his Dad’s place.

But she had things to do.

She waved goodbye, and parted ways with her friend, thrusting her hands in her pockets and walking the opposite direction. The sun was starting to go down, ever growing shadows invading the side walk. Soon direct light vanished, as the sun disappeared behind the nearby Mount Ebott. Streetlights came on to fight back the prevailing darkness.

Susie felt her stomach grumble, making her cringe and clutch it in her hand as she walked. “Ugh…really could have gone for some of that butterscotch pie right about now…” The reptile mumbled to herself, grimacing as her belly protested its emptiness. Did she even eat lunch today? She didn’t remember.

It was then she spotted a familiar sight out of the corner of her eye. An alley way she had passed time and time again on the way home. It was dark, covered in graffiti, trash, and general awfulness, but there was something that shone like a beacon of hope in the shadows and muck.

A single saucer of milk - carefully set out for a stray cat. A cat named Susie. A cat named Susie that wasn’t actually a cat, but rather a runaway teen that took whatever sustenance she could get.

Not that the one that put the saucer out knew she was the one that drank it each night, not a stray cat.

Her stomach growled louder, pleading with her to take the offering. “. . .I guess being fed is more important than dignity.” Susie mumbled to herself, creeping into the alley way as quietly as she could. She tuned her ears to pick up anything that might be stalking her, her eyes looking for any movement in the darkness. No one could see her like this, vulnerable and desperate. She would never let it down.

She took the bowl in her hands and briefly regarded it. The milk was off-color, like how the remaining milk would be after someone ate cereal from a bowl. Except this wasn’t delicious oats or marshmallow flavoring that colored the liquid. It was bugs – bugs, dust, and who knows what else.

Like many times before, she wished she had gotten here when it was first put out, when it was cold and clean and refreshing. But as they say, any port in a storm. She pressed her lips to the edge and slung it back like it was medicine.

It was lukewarm and not all that tasty, but Susie didn’t care. It was food, it was what she could get. It made her stomach quiet its gurgling, and she placed the empty saucer back down, wiping the dirty milk mustache from her face.

She stared at the saucer silently, trying to will more food into being on it. More milk. Some meat. Hell, she’d could even go for some veggies right about now. But reality regarded her request with cruel indifference, and she soon gave up. Instead she stood up and left the alley way, her heart heavy with shame and sadness.

_Reality is a dick._

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                Susie finally reached her home, if it could be called that. It was a run down, abandoned house. It was no home. But there wasn’t anywhere else she could go. She stepped up to the boarded-up door, briefly regarding the sign taped to it.

                _By order of the Hometown Residential Committee, this residence has been **Condemned.**_

                The reptile growled as she tore it off the door, stuffing it into her mouth and swallowing it in a fit of rage. Great. Just great. Somehow some asshole had noticed her abandoned hovel and told the city. Now she’d probably have to leave, find another place to live. If she got caught squatting, then everyone in town would know of her issues. They would know how pathetic she was. Not to mention she was pretty sure it was against a law or two.

                She rubbed her temples angrily, before releasing, a slow, steady sigh. Whatever. She had lived through worse. If worse comes to worse, she could just sleep in a box somewhere.

                She realized that idea was something she really, really didn’t want to happen.

                The reptile stood up straighter, peering around. The lots next to the house were empty, it was one of the reasons she chose this place. Still, it eased her fears to make sure there was no one around to see her. Satisfied, she dropped her book bag next to the door, and clasped her claws around the boards blocking the door.

                With a mighty yank, the reptilian monster ripped one straight out of the door frame. She couldn’t help but smile at that. Despite all this, she was still strong as all hell, and could do something it’d take most monsters a crowbar to accomplish. The other few boards came out even more easily, and she tossed them aside on the porch, shouldering her bag again. She gripped the dusty doorknob and turned. It stopped short, the unopened lock baring her entry. But she simply turned it harder, and it relented, granting her passage with a creaking groan of metal.

                Susie stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind her. Her proud smile soon vanished as she regarded the dark, empty house.

She often wondered what it was like, to come home and feel better about everything. To have that warmth, that comfort. Because she never felt it. Not anymore. “I’m home.” She called out to no one, flipping the light switch.

                Nothing happened. The power company found its mistake and shut off the electricity. Susie grimaced. “Fuck.” She muttered, before shaking her head. “Well…it’s not like I’m going to be doing anything else except sleeping anyway.”

                She walked down the hall, shedding her bag and clothes one by one until she was wearing nothing but a pair of old boxers, the quintessential white boxers with red hearts. The kind you saw in cartoons or movies. She thought about checking to see if any of her stuff was still here. The couch she managed to snag, the TV and radio…but she didn’t care about that right now. There were more important things. She just wanted to go to sleep and end this day.

                She came to an old, heavy bookshelf against the wall, looking out of place in the hallway. Susie knew why, it was because she put it there. She had pushed it there to conceal her most treasured possessions from would be looters. She doubted anyone else would think there was a door behind the heavy slab of wood, much less be able to move it out of the way, opening the door.

                It was a small closet, barely big enough for the rotten mattress in contained, topped with an equally tattered mess of a sleeping bag and flat pillow.

                Her bedroom, her sanctuary. Susie closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. It all was still safe, at least for another day. She lifted her makeshift blanket as she lowered down onto the salvaged mattress, grabbing the small plush monster – obviously quite old and missing a button eye – underneath and clutching it tight to her frame. “Hey, Fluffles.” She greeted it, as though it was alive.

                She felt like a total wuss. A nearly grown monster, so attached to a kid’s toy. But it was all she had. It was her family, it was a reminder of better times she wished she could go back to. Plus, it was soft and furry, and that just brought the bully so much comfort.

                She clutched it for a few moments more, as if trying to imbue it with her fears and pain, so she didn’t have to carry them. It worked, if only just, and she found the strength to lower herself onto her bed, turning towards the wall to regard her last and most precious possession.

                A small picture frame - carefully cleaned and cared for even in her squalor – which held the picture of a younger version of herself, and a shapely, motherly figure that looked a lot like her. They were both smiling, the woman’s dark hair done up in a long braid as she held little Susie in her arms. They looked so happy.

                The older Susie smiled too, she remembered that day. But the realization came flooding back once more, and her smile melted away. A slow, sad exhale, as the giant bully kissed her fingers, and pressed it to the woman in the frame.

                “Night mom.” She whispered, clutching Fluffles tighter against her powerful frame, and closing her eyes. She did her best to clear her mind, and drift off to sleep once more.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

 

               

               


	3. Kris's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris hatches a plan to help Susie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was tricky for me to write, a lot of things I have never written before. And now we also meet Kris's parents, the fabled goat parents that everyone loves.
> 
> Small note: I made a diversion from canon here. Asgore does not live in squalor like in the game, but in a small, decent apartment. Still trying to figure out what exactly happened between Tori and Asgore in the Deltarune universe to have them separate, so don't ask yet.
> 
> CONTENT WARNINGS: Belching, marital discourse, teenage poverty, crazy plans.

               

* * *

 

                Kris’s dad was not a good cook. At least not compared to his mom. Whenever he went to visit him, meals were often pre-packaged, microwaveable meals, like ‘Hungry Monster’ or ‘Lean Feast’. Rather bland fare, it was a stark contrast from his mother’s delicious pies and casseroles. He didn’t mind though. When he went to his father’s house – or rather apartment – it wasn’t about the food. It was about spending time with his dad. He often rushed through his meals, so they had more time to hang out, watch movies, play video games and the like. It was only a matter of time until he had to go back home to mom again, after all. He had to make each moment count.

                Not tonight though.

                Kris idly picked at the packaging of his TV dinner, squishing the precooked mac and cheese around the plastic dividers in thought. He moved the cheesy noodle on his fork across the tray as if he was painting a picture, resting his head in his hand. He just couldn’t bring himself to eat, he had too much to think about.

                _Why won’t Susie open up to me? What should I do? Do I try to corner her or just wait for her to open up herself? I want to help. I know she’s not telling me something. But what do I do?_

                The booming, yet kindly voice of his father resounded in his ears, causing him to glance up from his gooey work. “Something the matter, Kris?” He asked, the caprine monster’s thick blonde eyebrows – graying slightly with age – furrowed in a look of worry as he stared at his son from across the small dining table. “You’ve been playing with that single macaroni for the past few minutes.”

                The human shifted his weight in his chair, thinking quietly. Should he ask his dad for advice? This was a tricky situation and he could use the advice, but he also knew what an adult would probably suggest.

                He didn’t want that to happen, Susie would never forgive him. And he would never forgive himself either.

                “If there’s anything you want to talk about, you can always trust me, son.” Asgore continued, giving an uneasy but affectionate smile. “I’m here for you.”

                It had been about a year and a half since his mother and father had separated. Kris hated it. He hated having his family broken up. He wished he didn’t have to hide things from both his parents, for fear of causing a fight between them. And as much as he loved his mom, he felt like her stubbornness was to blame. He didn’t even remember what had happened that made her so furious, but she sure did. He was pretty sure his father had given up on reconciling with her. After the first few months, he had sent her flowers from his shop…but she just ground them up, set them on fire with magic, or simply threw them in the trash. After a while, the bouquets stopped coming.

                _Focus, Kris. This is not about you right now. First things first._

                The human decided that this was a point in his life where he needed the advice of his foster parent. And his father always gave great advice. Kris almost felt like he was a king in another life, able to pick apart each situation to find the best course of action. He loved that about him. And now more than ever did he need that sage wisdom.

                “...Dad?” Kris began, voice a little uneasy. He peered back at his impromptu macaroni art then back up at his father across the table. “Have you ever had a friend that was in trouble, but wouldn’t tell you?”

                There was silence. Asgore took his drink – just some simple milk – and carefully downed it, before wiping his mouth with a napkin, and gently pushing his unfinished food tray aside. The bulky bearded monster leaned forward against the table, resting his hairy arms atop it. He was giving Kris his full attention, and his voice was as calm and unthreatening as he could make it. “Why do you ask?”

                “Well…you know my friend Susie?”

                Asgore leaned back slightly, stroking his golden beard for a moment in thought. “Hmm…Tall? Purple? Always hides her eyes?”

                “Yeah, her.”

                “What about her?”

                “See…she…I don’t know. I feel like she’s in trouble.” Kris sighed, running a hand through his hair and slumping against the back of his chair. “We’ve been friends for a little while, but she acts…weird whenever I mention where she lives, her family…stuff like that.” The human looked at his father, who was still stroking his beard, eyes closed in deep concentration. “She’s always coming to dinner too, she says it’s because she ‘sucks at cooking’ but…”

                “…You think she might be homeless?” Asgore carefully interrupted, tenting his meaty fingers.

                Kris bit his lip, looking away. “I don’t know, maybe. I haven’t a clue where she lives.” He admitted. “But…it’d make sense. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen her in more than a few different sets of clothes. She always eats like it’s her last meal, or like she hasn’t eaten in forever.” The young human leaned forward again, resting his arms on the table like his father. He watched himself twiddle his thumbs anxiously, and with rapt attention, carefully choosing his next words. “She’s a good friend, even if she’s rough around the edges, and I just want to help her.” Finally, Kris gave his father a pleading look, frowning. “…How can I help her, dad?”

                Asgore nodded his head in thought. The giant caprine monster leant back in his chair, looking upward and stroking the golden hairs hanging from his strong chin. Finally, he spoke up. “Well…we certainly can’t tell the authorities.” He stated calmly, which surprised Kris. He was sure Asgore would suggest talking to child protection or something. “You do that, and you destroy your friendship.”

                Kris nodded. “Yeah. That’s what I thought. Plus, it’d probably cause her to move away, and maybe even kill all that effort she’s put in to trying to be…a better person.” He wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. Susie was a menace before the _‘Chalk Incident’_. The entire school was afraid of her ever since she just showed up a few years ago. “She’s really trying dad, and I think my friendship is part of why. I can’t betray her and have her fall back into who she was.”

                The goat nodded affirmatively. “Of course not. Your friendship has been beneficial to both her and you, Kris. I’d hate to see my son be alone again.” He smiled, patting Kris’s hand affectionately, before returning to his serious look. “Have you suggested she move in? We do have the guest room after all.”

                “Yeah, a couple of times. I think she assumes I’m joking though because she blows me off every time.” Kris blew a raspberry, tapping the table in thought. “I don’t really blame her though, it’s not exactly easy to say, ‘Hey Susie, don’t live on the street why don’t you live with me’ without it being awkward.” He added with a sarcastic tone, gesturing flippantly.

                Asgore chuckled, nodding. “Very true.” Then there was silence between them, an awkward, overwhelming, anxious silence. Kris felt his brow cake in sweat as he watched his father mull over the information.

                “Well. She’s obviously too proud to accept charity, which can often be difficult to get around. I remember when Rudy tried to keep his illness from me when his health started taking a turn for the worse.” Asgore rubbed his temples a moment, shaking his head with a sigh. “Always thinking of others, that one. ‘I’m fine, Big G, no problem, haha.’” Asgore smiled sadly, he never liked talking about his best friend’s failing health. “Eventually I managed to get him to spill it, but it was not easy. Susie is a lot like Rudy. Too proud to admit her own weakness and pain.” The goat frowned a bit, hanging his head and wringing his large hands solemnly. “I’m afraid the only option is to be there for her until she gets past her own demons. Any other option would sow the seeds of mistrust in your friendship.”

                “Yeah but what if it’s too late before that? What if she…gets caught and like…arrested or expelled or-?” Kris pleaded. That couldn’t be the only answer to the issue. It just couldn’t. Kris wanted to help Susie, help her be happy. He was her only friend, and she was his. He couldn’t let her down.

                “I know…I wish there was a better answer. But as I said, people like Susie are slow to trust and too proud to share their own burdens.” The goat moved his tray back under him, grabbing his fork again. “The best you can do is try to help her without her having to ask for it.” He added nonchalantly, going back to eating.

                Kris watched his father bring a glob of mashed potatoes into his mouth. _Help her without her asking, huh?_ He peered down at his food, and all the sudden, something in his mind clicked. He grinned widely, and started to laugh, making Asgore quirk his brow at the sudden change of tone.

                “What’s so funny, Kris?”

                Calming his laughter, Kris smiled at his father. “Dad. I think I just came up with a crazy ass plan.” He saw his father’s brow furrow, about to scold him for cursing, but Kris cut him off. “But we’re going to need mom’s help.”

                Asgore’s ears drooped slightly, his eyes widening. “...Oh dear.” He muttered, a frown on his face.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                “I’m not so sure about this, Kris.” Asgore muttered uncomfortably, as he and Kris trudged their way through the snow to Toriel’s house.

                “Come on, you said yourself that we need to ‘help her without her asking’.” Kris told him, smiling from ear to ear.

                “No…not that. Well actually, yes that, very much that. Just…seeing your mother again is a bit of a…frightening thought.” The tall goat monster rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, staring at the door to his former home.

                Kris frowned a little and took his hand. “Hey. It’ll be okay. You know how mom is, she’ll agree to this, even if it means being around you.” Realizing he could have worded that better, he continued. “Maybe the proximity will finally help her stop being mad at you.”

                A slow sigh released from Asgore’s mouth, his breath visible in the cold night air. “I suppose…” He relented, closing his eyes and squeezing the human’s hand carefully.

                His dad’s fears placated for now, Kris reached out and rang the doorbell.

                “Coming!” Called a woman’s lyrical voice from behind the door. There was some quiet shuffling, and the door gently swung open before them.

                Toriel was a goat monster, like Asgore, and only about a head and a half shorter than him. She had a motherly physique eternally shrouded in various muumuu dresses. She loved muumuus. She regarded Kris first, of course, a surprised look on her face.

                “Kris? What are you doing here my-” She paused, noticing the mighty form of Asgore behind her son. Her surprised look faded away for a look of sheer contempt, from which the taller man shirked timidly away from. Toriel took a moment to adjust her eyeglasses, her voice suddenly cold. “...Asgore.”

                “Ah…Howdy Tori, how are-” Asgore began, his ears drooping nervously.

                “Don’t you ‘Tori’ me!” Toriel growled, sticking a finger into his face. Kris couldn’t help but cringe at the sudden, furious interruption. “Why is Kris here? He’s supposed to be spending the night. Have you stopped caring about your own child?!”

                “Of course, not Toriel! Kris-” Asgore put up his hands defensively, backing off from the angry goat woman.

                “Oh, so you just thought it’d be fun to take him home as a blizzard starts outside?!”

                “Toriel I-”

                “Mom, it was my idea to come back.” Kris suddenly stated, beating his mom to the interruption. “Dad didn’t do anything wrong.”

                Toriel turned her gaze towards Kris, her visage becoming softer, before she once again her expression hardened, looking back up to Asgore. “I find that hard to believe.” The taller caprine monster shirked away from his wife a little more, looking as guilty as a child caught doing something wrong.

                Kris had enough, he hated this. He hated how his mom treated his father. Anxiety welled up in his soul briefly, but he somehow found the strength to beat it down. This was going to work out. It had to, for Susie’s sake.

                For his own sake.

                “Mom. Stop it.” He shouted, surprising both elder monsters. “Can you just, bury the hatchet tonight? Because there’s a reason I brought dad here. I need both your help with something.”

                Toriel paused, looking wide eyed at her adoptive son. Her surprised visage slowly turned to an expression of guilt. Begrudging guilt but guilt all the same. “I’m sorry, Kris. I should have let you explain yourself.” Kris frowned, noticing she didn’t apologize to his father. He shot Asgore a glance, who seemed to realize the same thing. Toriel adjusted her glasses once more and stood up straighter. “Now. Both of you come in before you freeze.” She added, stepping off to the side to let the duo in.

                Not keen on staying in the cold much longer, Kris and Asgore entered their house, Toriel closing the door behind them. Kris made his way over to the sofa, while his father stood awkwardly next to the door way, as if he was worried he’d anger Toriel if he touched anything.

                Truth be told, he probably would have.

                Toriel settled comfortably into her favorite chair, looking over to Kris. “So, what is it you need, my child?”

                Kris took a slow breath, looking to his father. Asgore shot him a slightly sheepish, but none the less encouraging smile and a little thumbs up. The smile vanished as Toriel followed her child’s gaze to glare at her ex-husband, and the massive monster shirked from her once more. Kris cleared his throat, bringing Toriel’s attention back to him.

                Begrudgingly she spoke. “Would either of you like some tea?”

                “Yeah, thanks Mom.”

                “Erm. I would appreciate it, de-” Asgore caught himself, biting his lip to quiet his voice.

                “Come along then. Kris, you can speak to us while it brews.” Toriel stated, standing up. She ushered them both into the kitchen. Kris and his father sat down at the dining table as Toriel busied herself preparing the tea. She filled a kettle with water and set it carefully on the stove, turning on the heat. The quiet crackle of the flame seemed to steadily eat away at the overbearing tension of the Dreemurr family. Kris felt his body relax as his ears focused on the near silent bubbling of water, and he quickly found the strength to speak.

                “So. Here’s the issue…” He began.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                The next day, Kris invited Susie to his house for dinner, which she eagerly accepted as always. It was a normal dinner, snail casserole with butterscotch pie for dessert. All of which were eagerly eaten by both teenagers. Once the meal was done, it was time for Susie to leave.

                And Kris to enact the first part of his plan.

                “Hey, thanks for the grub…uh…Kris’s mom!” Susie waved as she started out the door. That always perplexed Kris, Susie never referred to Toriel as ‘Ms. Toriel’ or ‘Ms. Dreemurr’. She didn’t even call her Toriel, just always ‘Kris’s mom’. Kris turned to his mother, who gave an unknowing shrug as the door closed behind the reptilian teenager.

                Hopefully she’d drop that habit once she moved in.

                Toriel waited a few moments before shifting carefully over toward the window next to the door outside, pushing apart the blinds with her large white fingers to peer out into the night. An uneasy silence settled upon the household, as Kris waited for her signal.

                “Alright, she’s turning right.” Kris etched that word into his mind. _Right._

                “She’s out of sight.” Toriel finally said, before reaching over to a black hoodie jacket dangling from a hanger near the door. Kris figured even with the snow, black would help him hide in the darkness the most. His mother handed him the garment and sighed, shooting him a worried look. “Be careful, sweetheart. We can’t be sure what will happen if she catches you.” She said. “I’d hate for this to ruin your friendship.”

                Kris just grinned a bit, slipping the dark jacket on and pulling the hood over his head. “Come on mom. I’m good at sneaking around, just ask Noelle.” That grin turned into a mischievous smirk, the human tightening the hoodie’s draw string around his face.

               Toriel rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn’t help but smile at her son’s mischief. She patted his shoulder with a heavy white paw. “Where you got that love of pranks I’ll never know. Now go on, before you lose her! And don’t forget your phone!”

                Kris snatched the device from a table near the door, before rushing out into the cold, dark night. Turning right, he jogged down the sidewalk until he could just make out a tall silhouette, standing there in the snow.

                Susie.

                Instantly he ducked behind a nearby bush, watching her from afar.

_Why is she just standing there?_

                Her hand came up to knead at her paunch, and a rumbling burp erupted forth from her maw, a sparkling cloud of orange drifting out into the frigid air.

 _Nice, Susie. Real attractive._ Kris thought, rolling his eyes. Nonchalantly waving the gas away, she then started walking again.

                Thankfully, it seemed like she wasn’t all that worried about someone following her that night. She was probably tired, eager to get home…wherever it was. She passed house after house. She passed the apartment complex. She passed the grocery store. Still she walked on. Kris began wondering just how far it was she lived.

                Kris soon followed her into parts unknown. He didn’t even realize that hometown was that big, he had never seen these roads before. Finally, Susie came to a stop in front of an old, dilapidated house, all alone between two empty lots.

                The human’s heart sank as he watched his friend lumber up to the door of this hovel.

 _Oh Susie…no…that can’t..._ Kris frowned deeply as he watched Susie swing open the door and enter a house he would never be caught dead in.

                “She **is** homeless…” He whispered to himself.

                Once he was sure Susie wasn’t coming out again, he crept up to a window on the side of the house. The glass pane was so dirty he couldn’t see through it, so he used his sleeve to wipe away enough grime to see. Reluctantly, he pressed his face against the window, shielding his eyes so he could focus on what was inside.

                It was hard to make out, given the window was just as dirty on the inside as it was on the outside. The lack of indoor lighting didn’t make it any easier. Still, he managed to spy Susie push something large – a bookcase or some such, probably – out of the way of a door, before opening it up.

                There in the darkness was what looked like a meager mattress, Susie’s makeshift bed.

                Her bedroom was literally a closet.

                Kris frowned, watching Susie lower herself into the bed, her figure squirming in the darkness as she tried to find a comfortable position to drift off to sleep. He watched until he saw the reptile lie still in her ‘bed’. This was no way for her to live. Not his friend. Not someone that had protected him from the Spade King during their adventures.

                Not a hero like Susie.

                “Don’t worry Sus.” Kris muttered, pulling out his phone and flipping to his GPS app. He placed a marker down at his current position, before bringing up directions back to his house. The device loaded for a short while, trying to find a signal – god even the cellphone coverage over here was crap – but finally he had his route home.

                Kris looked back up to his friend, determination burning within his heart. “I promise, this is the last time you sleep in a hellhole like this.”

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>


	4. The Feast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susie is invited to a holiday feast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Number 4!
> 
> This one was tricky because I've never really written a stuffing scene, surprisingly enough. But I think it came out pretty good. It was originally going to be longer, and I might come back and add to it if what I had planned isn't enough for a another chapter.
> 
> CONTAINS: Stuffing, passing out from overeating, gas.

               

* * *

 

                Most people liked Fridays.

                For most people, it was the threshold to the weekend, where even adults could be free from their obligations for at least two days. It told people ‘Hey! You survived another week, good job!’. It was a time to relax, breathe a sigh of relief.

                But Susie was not most people.

                She hated Fridays, because it heralded that period of time in her life, each week, where she had nowhere to go. Nothing to do. Don’t get her wrong, she didn’t like school either. But at least it was somewhere to go, something to do, something to distract her from her inner turmoil.

                She thought about getting a job once. But then she realized no one would hire her. Working at Ice-Es was out of the question, she had terrorized Kevin – AKA Burgerpants – too many times into giving her free food. She couldn’t work with him, now that she had the concept of guilt for her actions. Other options were similar stories. Didn’t need help, didn’t want her help, or she had earned the ire of someone there. The notion of being employed was soon branded as hopeless and faded away in Susie’s mind.

                She didn’t have friends to hang out with either. Kids and adults avoided her like the plague. It was an unfortunate side-effect of bad decisions she had made, prejudice for her own monster type, and imposing stature. Sometimes she watched other kids play, hang out, have a grand old time. But then that made her sad, because she knew they had something she didn’t: Friends. Family.

                People who cared about them.

                Don’t get her wrong. She had Kris now, and things were better. But at the same time…there was something unsatisfying about it. It made Susie feel awful to think that way, but it was true. Maybe it was the fact that they were both outcasts. Susie was the trash society threw away and Kris the only human in town. Maybe it was just that Kris had a life. He couldn’t spend all his time with her. He had other people in his life. He had his mom, his dad, and eventually his brother when he came back from college. He was a good friend, but he couldn’t devote all his time to her.

                And frankly, Susie didn’t want him to. She would feel guilty. Why should he suffer just because she felt alone? No, she couldn’t subject him to that.

_Maybe I should give him a break from me tonight. I’ll figure out some other way to get dinner._

                She peered down the hallway as she opened her locker, spying Noelle and that Catti girl she always hung out with talking in front of the deer’s own locker. Holiday was facing away from her, and Susie allowed her eyes to wander across her chunky form…

                _Damn that’s a nice butt…_ She thought to herself, eyeing the doughy mass that was Noelle’s rear end. She shifted her weight, and Susie couldn’t help but bite her lip as she watched those glutes jiggle. Susie felt a pressure build in her groin, prompting her to avert her gaze, lest she get too excited. She travelled northward and observed the girl’s golden locks. Noelle seemed to gesture in her conversation, flicking her hair back a little and making those immaculate gold strands ripple like one of those models in shampoo commercials.

                God she was gorgeous…

                _Maybe I really should ask her out…it would certainly give me something to do…_ Susie mused.

                However, it wasn’t long since she realized the fatal flaw in that plan. Noelle was the mayor’s daughter. Susie was the town delinquent. There was no way in hell, even if Noelle was hypothetically into her, that they could be together. She was just too good for her, in many, many ways.

                _She’s probably a hetero anyway._

                A slow sigh escaping her, Susie turned her head back to her locker before either of the girls noticed her leering. She briefly entertained the idea of asking her friend Catti out – they would probably get along – but she just wasn’t as interesting to Susie as Noelle was. Sure, she was cool, and one of the few people Susie had never bullied, but Noelle just had this…something. Something that got Susie’s heart pumping, she didn’t know what.

                _Guess I’ll go do some art or something…_ The reptile decided, reaching into the back of her locker to check on her stash of spray paint, pausing briefly to look over her shoulder as the two girls walked by. She turned a little more to watch Noelle walk away, gazing longingly as each butt cheek tried to get higher than the other in that dark romper dress. But it wasn’t long until Susie shook her head, sneering. _Don’t torture yourself thinking about what you can’t have, idiot._ Turning back to her locker with a small, frustrated groan, she retrieved the grocery bag of spray paint cans from the back of the container.

                Susie was responsible for most of the graffiti in home town, ever since she swiped spray paint cans from a hardware store once. It had started with her just idly writing ‘S was here’ in various places in town, and then evolved into actual artwork. It was something to do. And not that Susie would admit it, but she liked it. It was liberating in a way. And she liked to think she was pretty good at it.

                She took one of the cans and shook it slightly against her ear, trying to figure out how much paint was still left inside.

                “Hey Susie!” Came a sudden voice that made Susie jump and nearly slam the side of her head into her locker door. She shot her head towards the noise as she stood up, dropping the near empty can on the floor.

                It was Kris. Damn that kid could sneak around like a pro.

                “Fucking hell, Kris!” She growled down at the smiling human. “You wanna give me a heart attack or something?!”

                “Heh heh…Sorry.” The look on Kris’s face said that he wasn’t actually sorry, the little fink. But Susie let it slide, squatting down to pick her can back up and replace it in the bag. The human watched her curiously, before speaking again. “. . .Got plans for tonight?”

                “…Kind of.” Susie answered. _If by plans you mean go lift some more spray paint and not get caught._ “Why?”

                “Well, just wanted to ask if you wanted to come over tonight.”

                Susie quirked a brow at her friend. “. . .For?”

                “Dinner, duh.”

                That was…odd. Kris never formally invited her to dinner, she usually just showed up and got fed. It was a great system.

                It was then that Susie realized that while the system worked for her it probably didn’t work for Kris and his family. She’d have to…apologize later for being so inconsiderate.

                Being a good guy was hard.

                Still though, Susie wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Sure! Fuckin A man.” She exclaimed with a grin, replacing her bag of paint in the locker. She briefly contemplated her earlier thought of giving Kris a break…but not for very long. Food was at stake.  “Why don’t I just walk home with you?”

                Kris seemed to…recoil at that, which confused the giant reptile. “No! I mean - No, sorry. I’d rather you wait and just turn up this evening.”

                Susie quirked a brow, and then narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “…Why?”

                “Oh, see. My mom is in a mood today. You know how it is. She’s kind of pissy about my dad again and I was hoping you’d see as little as that as possible.” Her friend gave a sheepish, nervous smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

                Susie thought for a moment, and shrugged, adopting a less suspicious look. She knew Kris’s mom had a bit of a temper on her, despite her usual quiet and calm demeanor. So, this was an acceptable excuse. Still, Susie preferred to have some place to go, but she supposed she could find something to occupy her for a few hours at least. “’Aight, that’s fair.” She told him. “When should I come by?”

                “About six thirty sound good?” Kris smirked, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder.

                “’Aight, six thirty it is then.” Susie shut her locker with a clang, leaving another small dent shaped like her hand on its surface. She shouldered her backpack with a grin, turning about and giving a nonchalant wave over her shoulder. “See you later, nerd!”

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                Susie trudged through the snow in the winter moonlight, briefly thankful that she wasn’t one of the cold-blooded reptilian monsters, and that it wasn’t snowing.

                Still, she would have preferred not to be out in the cold, with nothing but an old winter coat tossed over her usual outfit. But she could take it all the same, she was a tough girl. If anything, her rotten life did wonders for her ability to tolerate even the worst conditions.

                She still hated it though. Some primal part of her wanted to go find a warm rock to lay on, but she ignored it. It’d be warmer at Kris’s house, both figuratively and literally.

                As much as her friend tended to complain about his family being embarrassing, she had to envy him. She hoped he was thankful for them, despite how annoying they could be.

                She certainly would be.

                Finally, she found her way to the Dreemurr household, clomping up to the door and ringing the doorbell.

                She barely removed her finger from the button before the door opened. It was Kris, smiling widely and in such a way that it brought a shiver of suspicion up Susie’s spine.

                “Hey Susie, right on time!” He exclaimed, ushering her inside with surprising urgency.

                Susie walked in at the human’s behest, shedding her coat and enjoying the warmth of central heating. “Really? Could have sworn I was trying to be late.” She smirked back at him. He chuckled and moved past her.

                “Everyone is in the dining room.” He told Susie as she began to follow him.

                Susie quirked a brow and nearly came to abrupt stop. “What do you mean by _everyone?_ ”

                “Why, if it isn’t the guest of honor!” A booming voice resounded. Susie found that Kris’s dad was sitting at the dining room table, smiling at her. “Howdy, Susie.” He stood up and lumbered over, offering her his hairy, meaty hand.

                What the hell was this? She thought Toriel would rather die than see Asgore in her house again. Still, Susie went along with it…warily. She took that hand in her own meaty claw and shook it. “Uh…yeah. Nice to see you.” Her mind processed what he said, and she asked: “…Guest of honor?”

                “Why yes! Tonight is a special night, you see.” Asgore explained, patting Susie’s back and making her cringe a little. She was never very big on physical contact. He must’ve noticed, because he backed off, and sit back down in his chair at the other end of the table.

                “Yeah, it’s a big holiday.” Kris added, moving towards the kitchen part of the dining room, helping his mother with…a veritable feast of food.

                Susie couldn’t help but drool at the massive spread. Still, once she got over that sight she had to ask. “Holiday? What holiday?” She looked between Asgore and Kris, waiting for an answer.

                There was a very brief silence that made Susie feel all the more suspicious, until Asgore spoke up. “Why it’s the…Feast of the Mountain King!” He said with a slightly strained smile.

                Susie just sat down at the end of the table closest to her, resting her arms upon its surface. “’Feast of the Mountain King’?” She repeated, unsure.

                Now it was Toriel’s turn to chime in, as she carried over a large tray of snail casserole – an acquired but still delicious taste – and set it on the table. “Oh, it’s to…celebrate one of the first kings of monsters.”

                “Yes! Exactly. He was…king when monsters still lived in the mountains, away from humans.” Asgore continued. “He…convinced monster kind to convene with humanity, inviting a human king into his palace for a feast of friendship!” Susie half-heartedly listened as she watched Toriel and Kris bring tray after tray and place it on the table. There was so much food, more than she had ever seen in one place before! “So, every year, we invite a family friend or even a stranger into our home to feast with them, to emulate his kindness and generosity.”

                “Huh.” Susie stated offhandedly. Normally, she’d be more suspicious that she had never heard of this supposed holiday. But the rational thinking Susie was gone and replaced by the extremely hungry Susie. “Sounds good to me!” She grinned, stomach growling as the human and his adoptive mother took their own seats on either side of her. She didn’t even notice the relieved sigh Kris let out, she was so focused on the spread.

                “And as customary, the guest gets the biggest portions.” Toriel mentioned with a smile, handing Susie a very large plate and utensils. “And first pick. To symbolize the king’s generosity.”

                Susie’s eyes widened and sparkled with awe under her bangs. She got access to all this food, could have the most of it, and even pick what she wanted first?! Again, she should be suspicious, but this was like heaven on earth to the homeless saurian! “That’s awesome!” She cried, immediately grabbing the serving utensils and starting to shovel food on her plate, piling it up as high as it would go.

                Though when a bit of casserole splat on the table, Susie felt her cheeks heat up, and she realized just how overboard she was going. “Uh…sorry.”

                “It’s fine, my child! Have all you would like, there’s plenty.” Toriel gave her a kind smile which made Susie feel better. Still, she slowed down her shoveling, and actually started to eat what was on her plate. “Oh! Right! What would you like to drink, Susie?” Toriel finally asked, clapping her hands together.

                Susie thought for a few moments. Honestly at this point, water would have been just fine for her. But she figured this was a special occasion, and for once she wanted to actually taste it fresh. “Do you guys have milk?” She requested, looking to Kris’s mom and wiping some of the crumbs from her mouth sloppily with her sleeve. Toriel seemed genuinely surprised that she would ask for something like that, but smiled, and nodded.  
  
                “Of course, coming right up.” She said, standing up and heading back to the kitchen. Susie grinned, and looked back to the table, starting to eat again with earnest. There was just so much! Fried chicken, pies, casserole… practically everything Susie ever cared to eat in one feast!

                And every bite was somehow more delicious than the last.

                Toriel returned, placing a tall glass of clear, white milk before the reptile, bringing her out of her rabid binge eating to eye it. It looked so…clear. It wasn’t like what was in that saucer in the alley way. It was crisp, clear, and fresh. The most beautiful shade of white Susie ever saw. Her claw reached out to grab the glass, and she felt the icy chill of the drink dance across her palm and up her arm, making her shudder ever so slightly.

                For once, she actually felt reluctant to drink it. It seemed so beautiful, so perfect. But food was made to be eaten and drinks were made to be drunk. The teenager grasped the glass tighter and brought it to mouth, tipping it back. The cold drink sloshed across her taste buds, baptizing them in a torrent of flavor.

                It was so refreshing that Susie let out a quiet groan at the taste, chugging down the drink like a drunkard and their first drink of the night. Little streams of milk oozed out from the sides of her mouth and down her neck, making her shiver at its frigid touch. But she kept going. This was like nectar of the gods to her. It wasn’t dirty and lukewarm like the saucer or kept in a revolting carton that Susie constantly punctured by accident with her teeth like at school. Oh no, it was pure ecstasy.

                Before Susie knew it, she had drunk the whole glass, and pulled it away from her mouth with a slightly sad sigh. She wished there was more.

                Toriel seemed to be psychic, because that was when she asked: “My, you sure do love milk! Would you another glass, my child?”

                Susie nodded eagerly in response and turned her attention back to her plate, losing herself in the food. She tried to hold back her urges, dial it back and eat like she wasn’t a mad woman. Hold a conversation. She did for a while. She answered some questions Asgore and Toriel had for her, cracked a joke with Kris or two…but little by little, the deliciousness of the food started to awaken something inside her. She slowly receding into just listening to conversations, her mind filled with her own questions: _What’s that? What’s it taste like? How much of it is there?_ To name a few.

                Her stomach growled hungrily, despite how much she had already eaten, pleading with her to feed it faster. Her mouth watered, and all conscious thought started to devolve into the primal need to eat.

                And eat she did.

                She ripped chicken off the bone like a rabid beast, downed slices of pies like it was going out of style. Soon all the moments seem to blur together, her body on autopilot as her brain processed all the different tastes and sensations it was being subjected to. It was a glorious cacophony of sensations and Susie simply did not want it to stop.

                She heard the Dreemurr family talking, but it was like background noise as she chugged down another glass of ice-cold milk. She made out a little bit though, something Asgore said to Kris…all that registered in her head was ‘eat a lot’. She assumed it was about her, not that she cared too much. All semblance of manners had long since been tossed aside as the excitement of the gluttonous lizard increased. She could feel her stomach poke out from under her tank top, swelling with food it tried it’s best to digest in a timely manner. A sharp twinge of pain shot from her gut up to her brain, begging her to cease this reckless eating.

                But Susie wanted more. If her stomach exploded tonight, she didn’t care, she’d die a happy monster. She silenced her stomach by tipping a bowl of soup into her maw, it dribbling out of the sides of her mouth. The warmth hit her stomach and seemed to calm the growing storm of digestion within. Pausing for only a moment afterward, she licked her lips and loaded down her plate with more scrumptious casserole.

                She ate and ate. Her body was becoming heavy and difficult to move. Her stomach had swelled to the size of a basketball, and her thoughts started to become fuzzy. It seemed like more and more of her energy was being set aside for the sole purpose of digestion. But still, she soldiered on, half a cake disappearing past her teeth despite all protests of her body.

                She wasn’t sure how long had past, how much she had eaten…but finally she felt as though she was full. No. That she was _beyond_ full. Her stomach sat taut in her lap, a beach ball sized mass that grumbled and gurgled angrily, protesting its owner’s rampant, unthinking gluttony. She felt like the contents of her stomach had built up to the very bottom of her throat, and it was all she could do to keep from vomiting.

                She wanted more, she really did. And there was still so much. But she couldn’t. One more bite and she was sure she’d spew all of that glorious feast onto the table in front of her.

                She slumped back in her chair, clutching her stomach. Her whole body felt numb save for her gut, which screamed at her with glorious pain. She had never eaten enough in one sitting to feel actual pain from overeating. She felt sick and she loved it! She relished the feeling like a fine wine, because she wasn’t sure if she’d ever feel it again. Her ears rang for a few moments until she could hear again, her mind slowly, steadily rebooting from her ravenous feast.

                “Good grief, Susie. How the hell did you eat so much?!” Kris cried out, as the rest of the Dreemurrs looked on in awe with him.

                Susie tried to speak, but she couldn’t. She felt like if she opened her mouth, she’d open the literal floodgates. None of this food was leaving her, it was going to stay in there and get digested like good food should. She mustered up a shrug and a slight grin in answer. The slight movement seemed to trigger something, and Susie felt a bubble of gas travel down from her gut and out her backside. It was relatively quiet, at least to her ears. She didn’t care much though, all she cared was that it made her feel slightly less bloated, if only for a moment.

                There was a silence amongst the family, as Susie gathered her strength. Finally, she felt well enough to speak, and it came out in a throaty, calculated whisper. “Well…guess I better…head home.”

                There was a blur of movement, the saurian monster’s eyes were getting hazy and hard to focus, but she was pretty sure her benefactors exchanged worried glances. She wasn’t sure what for, and frankly didn’t care. Then Asgore spoke up. “Nonsense Susie! You can’t leave yet!” He said with a nervous smile. “How… How about I tell you the full legend of the mountain king? It’s quite the story!”

                Susie grimaced a little. She specifically didn’t show up for history lessons because this kind of thing bored her on an empty stomach, much less a beyond full one. _But they gave you more food than you could ever dream of!_ She thought. _The least you could do is listen to their dumb story._ With that thought, the reptile shrugged and nodded. “Aight. I guess I owe you-” She paused to belch, a puff of orange, sparkling fog leaving her mouth. “-that much.”

                Asgore smiled in relief, clearing his throat. “Well, a long, long time ago…” And that’s where Susie tuned him out. It wasn’t out of rudeness or disinterest entirely, to be frank. But simply the fact that all the teen could think about right now was going to sleep. Her eyelids started to feel as though someone tied weights to them, and her whole body was falling limp with fatigue. Asgore’s voice and image seemed to be getting progressively farther away with each passing moment.

 _Don’t fall asleep, you dumbass!_ Her mind ordered her, and she tried to fight the onslaught of the Sandman back. But soon even her brain turned on her. Whatever part of her brain that urged her to not be rude seemed to quiet, replaced by an even louder voice, begging her to rest.

                Her head was starting to teeter up and down. A yawn escaped her mouth, but she was too tired to lift a hand in order to silence it. Before she could stop it, her eyes had already drifted closed. Her mind shut itself off soon after.

                Despite her best efforts, Susie passed out.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>


	5. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susie awakes in an unfamiliar room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest part yet, a full four or so pages past my usual. Finally the little Susie gets a home arc comes to a close, and now I can move onto the nitty gritty: The weight gain and romance.
> 
> I'm gonna take a break for maybe a day or two, just to recharge my batteries because this one was kind of a doozy. See you on the flip side and hope you enjoy! 
> 
> CONTAINS: Swearing, a single mention of bodily functions, and implied intersex.

 

* * *

 

                Linen.

                This was the first sensation Susie’s mind registered, as she slowly drifted back into conscious thought. The scent and feel of fresh, comfortable linen. Instinctively, she grabbed what she could grab of the scent, pushing it against her nose and taking deep whiffs, all without opening her eyes. It was so…comfortable. It was a comfort Susie hadn’t felt for a long, long time. It was so pleasing that she contemplated drifting back off to sleep before her body fully awoke.

                She couldn’t feel her body for a moment, as if her entire nervous system had shut down for the night. Then all at once feeling returned to her powerful form. She could feel the tightness of the morning around her groin, the dryness of her throat, the beating of her heart.

                She had never slept so well, it was wonderful. Every day usually had the reptile grumbling to no one about the crick in her back, her neck, or wherever. She’d be eager to get up so she could stomp feeling back into her foot or shake the numbness out of her hands.

                But today?

                There were no aches. No pain. Her muscles felt stronger than they ever had before, and that was saying something. It was so magical that she didn’t want to get up still, stay on this soft cloud of comfort until the day she turned to dust. Letting out a soft grunt, she adjusted her position, grabbing her pillow and holding it tighter in her arms. It felt damp on the side of her face, she must’ve been drooling in her sleep again.

                Try as she might, Susie couldn’t drift back to sleep. She just wasn’t tired anymore. Her body told her to get up. To live and come back to this place in another twelve hours or so, then it would let her sleep again.

                She opened her eyes, blinking them into focus to see her mom’s picture staring back at her on the bedside table. A glass of water was set next to the picture. She must’ve got it last night, maybe she was thirsty? It didn’t look like she took a drink though. She wracked her still waking mind, trying to remember when she got up to get a glass of water.

                Then all the sudden, it hit her.

                This was not her house.

                Susie sat up in bed with a start, peering around the room. She seemed to be in a bed – obviously – tucked in the corner of a smallish room, maybe about eight to ten feet across. To the right of her bed, past the afore mentioned bedside table, was a door that lead to a small half-bathroom. She shifted her head counter clock wise. There was a small seating area in the opposite corner of the bed, faintly illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the blinds from a window in the southern wall. She scanned further, past a curious painting of a snail hanging on a wall near the seating area, above an oak dresser. _Weird choice for decoration…_ she mused, before spying the door directly across from the foot of the bed. Probably led outside the room into the house proper.

                She reached over and clicked on the oddly shaped lamp on the nightstand next to her, illuminating the room in more substantial light. The walls were a pleasing cream color, and a soft red carpet served as the floor. As she scanned the room once more, her gaze froze when she saw some familiar objects, sitting in the floral print chair in the corner: A ratty bookbag, and a faded teddy monster.

                **Her** bookbag. **Her** teddy monster.

                _Where am I?! Who found all my stuff?! What happened to me?!_ She ran a hand through her hair and tried to think back to what happened the previous night, to try and make sense of where she was. She smacked her lips, the dryness of her throat distracting her. After grabbing the glass on the nightstand and downing it in one gulp, the memories slowly came to focus in her mind, hazy but there.

                _Okay…I remember coming to Kris’s house…they had some kind of weird holiday feast thing…and…_ Susie thought, retracing her steps mentally. Everything after that was blank. Did something happen and she fell asleep? Did she get drunk? No, the Dreemurrs probably didn’t even have booze in their house, much less offer it to someone underage like Susie. All she remembered was food. Lots and lots of food. She groaned in irritation as she brought her palm to her face with an audible slap.

                “Fucking hell Susie, you ate yourself into a coma. Nice going, dumbass.” She muttered to herself with a sigh, before letting her claw drift off of her face. She could feel her cheeks light up in embarrassment, hoping she didn’t do anything too ridiculous the night before. But those feelings soon were replaced with confusion, as she eyed her backpack and stuffed toy in the corner.

                How did they find her stuff? Why did they bring it here?! What did they see?! The very thoughts made teenager panic. She didn’t like her privacy being invaded, it made her feel vulnerable. And she hated feeling vulnerable.

                Clenching her fist, she threw the sheets off of her and deposited her large feet on the ground. It was then she noticed that she was only wearing her undershirt – an old, white t-shirt forcibly turned into a muscle shirt, thanks to bulk of her arms ripping the sleeves to tatters – and her boxers. Where were her clothes?! Did they undress her?! They must have, because she didn’t remember undressing!

                How much did they see?!

                She clutched the sides of her head, readying to panic, before taking a slow, steady breath. _Easy, Sus. Easy. This is Kris’s family. They’re not perverts._ She thought for a moment, and a realization sent a shiver down her spine. _…You think._ Her hands fell to her sides, and she lumbered about the room. _Well, if they undressed me, they probably left something for me to wear when I woke up, right?_ Some part of her questioned the logic of this thought – for some reason – but it wasn’t long until she found clothes set out on the dresser for her.

                A Pink, floral pattern, button up shirt and grey sweat pants sat before her, neatly folded and ready to wear. They looked big, and the saurian could only guess that they were some of Asgore’s old clothes.

                “What is with that guy and flowers? I mean, he’s not gay, is he?” Susie mused. Maybe that’s why the Dreemurrs separated? She logged that away to mull over later, taking up the shirt and scrutinizing it thoughtfully. It looked comfortable enough, but the thought of wearing something so effeminate made her stomach turn, so she tossed it haphazardly over her shoulder with a scoff. The sweat pants were much more acceptable, so she slipped them on, tugging at the drawstring so it fit snugly around her waist. They would do until she found her old clothes. But that would come later.

                For right now, all Susie wanted was some answers.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                The hallway beyond the room was familiar, Susie had seen it a few times before when coming to visit Kris. Across the hall from the guest room was what Susie assumed was Toriel’s bedroom. Not far down the hall from that was Kris’s bedroom – she had been there enough times to remember. At the very end of the hall was her destination, the stairs down to the ground floor.

                Susie sneered as she eyed Kris’s door, contemplating smashing the door down and wringing his scrawny neck. The feeling passed quickly though, especially since the teenager realized something: She didn’t know what time it was. How long did she sleep? Fortunately, there was a small clock resting on a table between Toriel’s and Kris’s room. She had to squint, but she could just about make out the time: 10:01 AM.

                The reptile released an irritated chuff. Even Kris wouldn’t sleep in that long. His pummeling would have to wait. And he would definitely get one. This was inexcusable. She told him she didn’t need any help, that she didn’t want any help! And he goes and tricks her?!

                Susie ground her teeth together, forcibly thrusting her hands into her pockets to keep from just destroying everything she passed in a fit of rage. She didn’t want to make a mess, she still respected the Dreemurrs. Their stuff was to stay undestroyed.

                Kris’s face however…

                She clenched her fists in the pockets of her sweat pants as she descended the stairs. Despite the cacophony of her heavy footfalls, she could hear water running, and someone humming. She turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs to enter the family dining room and kitchen. There she found Toriel, seeming to be in the process of cleaning a grand assortment of trays and plates, probably from the last night’s feast.

                The sight of filled Susie’s mind with an irrational fury. Toriel was a good mom, why didn’t she stop this stupid trick from going on?! She helped Kris make a fool of her, make her feel weak! The saurian clenched her fist harder, breaking some of her leathery skin in her palm.

                The goat monster seemed to catch Susie out of the corner of her eye, and she pursed her lips, before turning and smiling to the teenager. “Well, good morning, my Child! I was wondering when you-”

                “Cut the shit.” Susie growled, making Toriel gasp in surprise.

                Then the goat monster’s visage soured. Her kindly features hardened into the face of a fiery, confident old bitch. She spoke calmly, but her voice was dripping with authority. “You will not speak to me that way.”

                Honestly, such a change of character and posture actually managed to send a spark of fear down Susie’s spine. That was saying something. It was only a spark though, so she stood her ground. “Fuck off!” The saurian roared, stomping her large foot in the direction of the goat and baring her teeth, adopting a fighting stance. “What the fuck did you do to me?! Did you guys fucking drug me?! Where the fuck is Kris, I wanna kick his skinny ass!”

                “You **will** calm down and stop cursing, my child.” Toriel’s voice was ice cold, yet fiery at the same time. She coolly folded her hands in front of her, standing tall and glaring at the reptilian teen.

                “Calm down?! CLAM DOWN?! You guys fuckin invade my privacy and you want me to fucking **calm do-**?!” Suddenly something cut Susie off. Her stomach released a low, deep gurgle as it awoke. And despite the rage inside her, a sharp pain shot from her stomach up her body. She grunted and clutched her stomach, her body suddenly feeling so weak Susie wondered if she would fall to her knees from the onslaught. _Come fucking on!_ She thought, gritting her teeth as another wave of pressure seemed to wash over her form. _You fucking do this now?!_

                Never before had Susie felt such an urgent need.

                She peered up, pleadingly at Toriel. A slightly amused smile worked itself across her features. “Behind you, my dear.” Susie whipped her head around to eye the door behind her, then looked back to the goat.

                Stifling a belch, the still furious reptile thrusted one claw towards her friend’s mother. “T-This…ain’t over, okay?!” She gurgled, blushing from the inopportune time for her body to remind her just how much she had eaten the previous night.

                “Of course.” Toriel responded quietly, as Susie rushed into the bathroom.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                _Thank god for Indoor plumbing._

                Susie sighed, splashing water on her face. Her body’s need admittedly had put a damper on her anger, but that was no issue. All she needed to do was think about what these assholes did to her, making her look weak and helpless! She looked up into the mirror above the sink, fully ready to work herself up into fury once more.

                Except, she didn’t.

                She stared at the face that stared back at her. Her aubergine hair was an absolute mess. Feeling a rare moment of self-consciousness about her appearance creep into her brain, the lizard ran a hand through her hair. It felt grimy and unwashed, and bits of dandruff and dust and other debris fell out of her plum colored hair and into the sink. The movement of her hair revealed her seldom seen eyes, and Susie noticed the bags under them.

                Suddenly she realized how disgusting she felt. Her whole body itched as if it was covered in dried mud, which in some places was probably true.

                She inspected her mouth to find her teeth a sickly yellow color – not that bad considering they were always a shade of yellow, but still concerning. She stared at her hands, noting the various scuffs and cracks in them. She had to get some lotion or something. At least those breaks in her skin from clenching her fist had already healed, thanks to her species’ natural regeneration.

                This was why Susie avoided mirrors. She didn’t like to see what she looked like. How far she had fallen. She didn’t like to see the truth.

                She shifted her gaze about, looking for something to give her some semblance of cleanliness. Her eyes settled on the shower.

 _Really, Susie?_ She thought. _You’re gonna take a shower and then bitch at Kris’s mom?_ She turned back to her reflection, mulling the idea over. Finally, she pulled herself off from the sink, lumbering towards the tub. _Yeah. You are. Because damn it, you haven’t had a shower in forever and you look like shit. They owe you for pulling this shit on you._

                Susie shed her clothes, letting the cool air of the bathroom kiss her bare, leathery skin. Somehow it felt even worse than when she was clothed, as if the air aggravated her unwashed form.

                The faster she got into the shower, the better.

                The purple behemoth pulled open the shower curtain and stepped over the edge of the tub, closing the curtain behind her. Looking around, she took just a few moments to orient herself, see what her options were for cleaning product.

 _Let's see…soap…body gel/shampoo – probably Toriel’s._ Susie mused, eyeing the shelf inside the shower. _Does Toriel really need that much shampoo?_ _Then again, she’s covered in fur, so I guess so._ Curious, she grabbed the gallon jug and opened it up, taking a whiff. _Huh. Smells like butterscotch. I just thought she baked a lot._

                The chill of the bathroom started to creep up the saurian’s body, making her shiver and put the bottle down. Choosing a scent could be done later, right now, warming up was more important. She turned the knobs of the faucet until the water came out nice and steamy, before switching the flow to the shower head above. Hot water dripped onto her head and down her neck, making her sigh in relief.

                It had been a long time; she had forgotten what a hot shower felt like.

                Sure, she had managed to sneak into the locker room showers at school a few times, but those were never as relaxing. She was always worried someone would come in, see her naked or worse, she’d get in trouble. She rushed through those washings, doing the bare minimum to get out of there as quick as possible. She didn’t just stand there and enjoy the soft pitter patter of hot water on her skin.

                Susie closed her eyes, turning her head directly towards the shower head and let its comforting stream wash over her face, feeling her muscles relax. Even without the aid of soap or shampoo, it felt like the cleansing rain purified her body of worry and stress.

                It felt so wonderful.

                A sweeping realization crossed the teenager’s mind, and she lowered her head to think. Why was she angry? It felt so stupid to be angry at this. All the Dreemurrs wanted to do was help.

                Susie mulled this thought over as she started washing her hair, deciding just to use the smaller bottle next to Toriel’s jug. It was probably Kris’s shampoo, and it smelled like apples. As much as Susie didn’t care for smelling like apples or Kris, she was sure Toriel’s shampoo was made for fur, not hair. And god only knew how badly the reptile needed a fully effective cleaning.

                Lowering her head to wet her hair, her mind drifted back to her former train of thought. Why _was_ she angry? Because she felt vulnerable and humiliated? Sort of. She did hate that feeling with a passion. But it wasn’t like her friend and his family were trying to humiliate her. They were trying to help her. Which she appreciated, even though she really didn’t want them to shoulder her own problems. They were too nice of a family to be bothered with her own burdens.

                The more she continued this line of thinking, the more her heart sank into her chest. She felt so…guilty. Sure, his method of getting here was shady and kind of damn weird, but it made her question why they went to such lengths? Was Kris really that worried about her? She thought back to her image in the mirror as she lathered up her hair, feeling the rare touch of shampoo on her scalp, when she paused, coming to a stunning revelation.

                He **was** worried about her.

                Things made sense now. Kris was worried about her. She looked awful, and he was a smart, attentive guy that probably long since figured out she was homeless. All the constant mentioning of the family guest room began to sink in. He had been trying to get her to move in for a while. Sure, Susie knew that, but she had long since trained herself to register that as one of his weird jokes. After all, Kris had an odd sense of humor. And to have this convoluted plan…

                Susie hung her head in shame. She was an awful friend, making Kris worry about her like this instead of biting the bullet and asking for help. She was so selfish, thinking about herself over her friends’ feelings. And then when he finally found a way to help her…she felt furious and hurt about it.

                Why was Kris even friends with trash like her? She wasn’t used to this kind of affection. She was used to people being scared of and avoiding her. Not…trying to help her. Susie felt anger well up in her soul again, but not at Kris, but at herself, and she slammed her fist against the wall of the shower, cracking the porcelain tile.

                She didn’t deserve this kindness.

                She felt water trickle down her cheeks, only to realize it wasn’t from the shower.

                It was from her eyes.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                The shower did wonders for Susie’s body and mind, but not her emotions. The time to think had only redirected her anger from Kris and his family to her own self. It took her a few minutes to work up the courage to face Toriel again, but she finally gritted her teeth and opened the door.

                She found Toriel sitting there at the dinner table, silently. A tea set rested in the middle of it, and the elder goat monster was enjoying a cup of tea. She took a gentle sip and then peered toward Susie at the doorway to the bathroom.

                “Enjoy your wash, my child?” She said, with a faint smile. Her voice was kind and gentle again. Maybe she knew how Susie felt right now. Maybe she knew that Susie just needed the time to think.

                “Uh…” The teenager honestly didn’t expect this. She expected the screaming match to begin anew. But instead she got…this. “. . .Yes ma’am.” That word felt awkward to say, it had been a long time since Susie ever used the words ‘ma’am’ or ‘sir’. She never liked to look like a coward, but Toriel was owed that respect.

                “Good.” Toriel looked away to take another sip of her tea before casting her gaze back at the large young woman. “Would you like some tea, Susie? I just made it.”

                Susie wasn’t much of a tea drinker, but she wasn’t really in the mind to refuse at the moment. “…Yeah. Sure. Thanks.”

                Toriel smiled at her again, and waved her closer, nudging out the chair closest to Susie with her foot some. Accepting the invitation, the reptile lumbered over and deposited herself on the seat, hearing it creak under her dense musculature. _Hope I don’t fucking break it…_ She thought, before shrugging a little as she watched Toriel pour her a cup. _Nah…if it can take Asgore it can probably take me._ The caprine offered her the cup, and she carefully took it in her mighty claws, thanking Toriel once more before taking a polite sip.

                It actually wasn’t too bad. It was kind of warm and refreshing, a little fruity even. Susie liked that.

                “I imagine your time in the bathroom was enlightening, considering your change in demeanor?” Toriel suddenly stated, nearly making Susie choke on her drink. So she did remember.

                “Y-Yeah. I uh…about that…”

                “Think nothing of it, dear.” Toriel reached out and gave the large lizard a pat on the shoulder with one of her furry hands. “You were just surprised and confused. It’s perfectly understandable.”

                Again, Susie didn’t…expect this. Not from the old lady that stood her ground against her – admittedly brief – verbal onslaught. “Yeah. Still though. I feel like I should say sorry.” An awkward pause. “So…sorry.”

                “You’re forgiven, my dear.” Those words lifted some of the emotional weight off of Susie’s shoulders. Toriel removed her hand and took another sip of her tea, while Susie stared into hers in thought.

                The room was quiet, the only sounds being a very gentle slurping and the tick tock of a clock on the wall.

                Susie felt like she should say something, but she wasn’t sure what. She decided to settle on asking a question.

                “So, where is Kris, anyway?” She asked, giving a slight glance about the house.

                “Oh, I sent him to his fathers early this morning.” The goat mother answered, her gaze shifting towards her companion. She must’ve noticed Susie’s perplexed expression, because she elaborated a moment after. “I had a feeling you’d be…less than amiable when you woke up.”

                And there was that weight again, Susie hung her head in shame, sipping from her cup.

                What Toriel said next made her look up again, however. “And I wanted to talk to you. Alone.” Her voice hardened, just a little. It wasn’t as bad as when she stood her ground against Susie but still, it made the reptile cringe and worry.

                “T-Talk to me?” Susie repeated, clutching her cup with both hands.

                “Yes. Talk to you.” Toriel placed her mug down and gingerly took up the kettle, pouring herself another cup. She took it in both hands before speaking again. “I understand that this situation is…a peculiar one, to say the least.”

                The goat gave a sheepish, apologetic smile before she continued.

                “But you must understand by now, that it was because my son was…desperate to help you.” She explained as Susie stared into her cup, listening intently. “To this very moment I’m still surprised I went along with it, but he was just so hellbent on doing it.” Toriel shook her head with a slight chuckle, sipping from her mug.

                “Yeah. I…realized that in the shower.” Susie offered quietly, timidly looking up.

                Toriel nodded, peering quietly at the reptile. “I cannot force you to stay. But I sincerely hope you do.” She sighed, the corners of her mouth curling downward in a frown. “It’s…no secret that my Kris has…difficulties with friendship. He is a unique individual, and a bit shy. Most of his friends he met through Asriel, and when he left…so did those friendships.” Now it was the goat’s turn to look thoughtfully down into her cup. “Truth be told, it wasn’t long since after Asriel left for college that I saw my son change, become more…reclusive and quiet. He didn’t even play pranks anymore, and while I was happy that he wasn’t getting into trouble…” A pause, a short exhale of breath.

                “I’m getting off track. The point is, I’m glad he has you as a friend.” She looked over to Susie with a thankful smile. “He’s become like his old self again, and perhaps even better! He even stood up to me when I was giving Asgore a difficult time.” There was a slight twinge of guilt in the goat’s voice, but she continued on regardless. “But if you leave, I’m worried he’ll fall back into that pit of despair, perhaps even worse.”

                This was an interesting thought to Susie. She always thought that Kris helped her be a better, happier person. But she was helping him? She couldn’t help but feel proud about that fact, and she stood up straighter in her chair. “Well he’s a great bud, even if he’s a little annoying sometimes.”

                Hearing those words, Susie slumped back slightly in her chair, that pride melting into guilt. But she sat up again when Toriel giggled, bringing a fuzzy paw to her mouth. “Oh, believe me, I’m his mother. I know he can be a little munchkin at times. I simply _don’t_ know where he gets it!"

                Susie smiled, and found herself laughing with her for a few moments.

                “But in any case.” Toriel’s voice became serious again, as she looked hopeful to Susie. “Tell me Susie, will you stay here, with us?”

                The reptile peered down at her cup again, swishing what liquid remained inside. Truth be told, she was still reluctant to accept. She didn’t want the Dreemurr family to share her burdens. She didn’t want people to know that she was homeless. She was scared of losing that tough persona that had seemed to bring her comfort and safety.

                She closed her eyes, cursing at herself. _There you go again, being selfish. You need help, you dumb lizard. And Kris wants to help you. If you refuse, it’ll destroy the one friendship you have on this god forsaken planet._ “Yeah. I…I think I’ll stay.” She finally worked up the nerve to say, smiling shyly towards Toriel.

                The caprine monster gave her a wide, appreciative smile that really seemed to uplift her spirits. “Good! I’m glad to have you living here!” There was a slight pause.

                “And now that that’s settled.” Her tone turned businesslike. Not exactly lacking affection, simply how a mother might lay down rules for their child. Which coincidentally, was what was happening. “I must offer you an ultimatum.”

                “…Ultimatum?”

                Toriel sighed, shaking her head and adjusting the small glasses on her snout. “You really do sleep through your classes, don’t you?” She said with a slightly amused smirk. She lifted a finger, taking on an informative tone, like the teacher she was. “’Ultimatum: a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations.’”

                Susie canted her head at the definition, before nodding. She got it well enough, she supposed. “Alright…uh…what is it?”

                “There are some rules for you living in this household, and I want to make sure you follow them. I will not hesitate to punish you if you break them, understand?”

                Susie felt herself instinctively swallow a lump in her throat, before speaking. “Yes ma’am.”

                “Rule number one: There will be no hanky panky in my house. Especially with my son.”

                The suddenness of this request caused Susie to choke on the tea she was drinking, breaking into a coughing fit as she blushed furiously. “W-Wha?! No! I mean…I like Kris but not that way!” She wheezed out, voice raspy. “I-I like girls!” She blurted, and immediately regretted it. She knew the Dreemurrs were religious folks, she hoped her homosexuality wasn’t going to be an issue…

                Her face darkened even further when she came to the realization that Toriel was probably the one that undressed her. What did she see?!

                Toriel just smiled and laughed. “I’m sorry dear, I just had to see your reaction! I had a feeling you were.” Susie just sat in her chair and sulked, her face flush with embarrassment. She just focused on pushing those worrying thoughts out of her mind.

                Calming her laughter, Toriel spoke again in an authoritative voice. “Still though. No fooling around. Am I clear?”

                “Y-Yes Ma’am.” The fact that Toriel could turn on a dime like that really threw Susie for a loop.

                “Good!” Goatmom nodded appreciatively. “Rule number two: You are to concentrate more on your schoolwork and keep out of trouble.” Toriel urged her, frowning. “No fighting. No bullying. No stealing. And you will have a curfew of ten o’clock at night. Understood?”

                Susie gave a weak smile. “Yes ma’am, no problem. I’ve…kind of been trying to quit with that stuff anyway.” Geeze, when she put it that way it sounded like she was an addict trying to go clean.

                “Good. To help you with this, however, I am always open to tutor you, if you wish.” There was that kindly voice again, as Toriel reached out and pat Susie’s hand. It took all her strength not to instinctively recoil at the touch. “Rule Number Three: The guest room, for all intents and purposes, is now your apartment.”

                Susie looked up at Toriel in shock, as she listened.

                “It is your private space, if you wish I’ll even change the locks on that room. We will not disturb you there if we can help it.” The Dreemurr matriarch continued. “That being said, you are expected to keep it up. It is still our home.” She nodded gently. “I’m not asking for complete sterility, but please, don’t leave your trash and clothes all over the floor, and dust once in a while, alright?”

                “…Uh…yes…ma’am.” Susie was still trying to process this. They would even change the locks for her?! She could fill it with what she wanted?! It had been a few years since she had that privilege. She’d gladly do some occasional cleaning to keep it.

                “Good! Now if only I could get Kris to do the same.” Toriel smiled, rolling her eyes. “You also have free access to the fridge and pantry!” She paused and shot Susie a worried look. “W-Within reason. Please…don’t empty them out every day!” Toriel pleaded, clasping her paws together.

                Susie blushed and gave her a stupid grin, rubbing the back of her head. “Y-Yeah. Sorry about that. I uh…you know. I’ll try not to eat you guys out of house and home.”

                Toriel gave a slow, drawn out breath in relief, shoulders visibly relaxing. “Good…good…” She sat up again and sipped her tea. “Anyway, that’s the golden rules covered. Let’s see…what else…” She brought a fuzzy hand to her chin, looking up in thought. “Oh yes! I almost forgot. I have some gifts for you!” Adopting a big, happy grin, Toriel reached into the pockets of her dress and placed two objects down on the table in front of Susie.

                A cellphone – one of the older smartphone models, probably refurbished – and a small stack of twenty-dollar bills. Susie’s eyes widened at the sight. “You’re…giving me a phone? And money?”

                “Mhmm!” Toriel beamed as the teenager treated the cellphone as if it was some rare artifact, even jumping slightly when it responded to her touch and opened up to the unlock screen. “The pin is 5318.”

                Susie looked over to the elder monster and back to the phone, tentatively sliding the bar to the right and entering the pin. She tried to mind her claws, so she didn’t scratch up her new phone. A smile came across her face as the phone unlocked, showing her a small list of app icons. “This is cool…” She muttered.

                The goat laughed softly and continued. “You’ll notice that it has mine and Kris’s cellphone numbers in it, as well as Asgore’s.” There was a slight toxin in her voice as she said her ex’s name, but it vanished it when she continued. “The home phone is there as well.”

                “So…this is mine?” Susie still couldn’t believe it. She never had a phone!

                “All yours! Though please, do answer my texts and calls.” Toriel asked.

                “Oh yeah, sure. I will.” Susie would have to figure out how to use the phone later, because now she turned her attention to second gift. “…what about the money?”

                “Oh, well. Consider it a housewarming present, my child.” The caprine monster explained with a smile. “I noticed you didn’t have a lot of…anything.” Her smile started to melt into a saddened frown. “So, I thought I’d give you some money to buy whatever you’d like! There’s a thrift store in town you could get all sorts of things for ch-”

                “There’s two hundred bucks here.” Susie mumbled. “You’re…giving me two hundred bucks? Just…like that?” The reptile could feel her eyes start to water, but she did her best to fight back the urge. No one had ever done something so…generous for her. It even beat out Noelle’s yearly gift of Christmas cookies, if only by a little bit.

                “Yes. I am.” Toriel said affirmatively, smiling as she stood up. “And from now own, you’ll get ten dollars a week as allowance…provided you help me around the house and run errands for me.”

                And now she was basically being given a job. This was a great day.

                “I…sure…” Was all Susie could manage to say, as she watched Toriel moved back towards the kitchen sink to resume washing the dirty trays and dishes.

                Susie eyed the money on the table, carefully picking it up in her claws and looking over it. She had never seen so much money in one place before. All those years of shaking down kids for lunch money…she never got more than maybe twenty bucks at a time. And now she was holding ten times that in the palm of her hand.

                The teenaged lizard peered up from the crumpled bills in her palm and up at Toriel, watching her work for a few moments. Mulling over the image, she finally got up, stuffing the bills in her pocket. She’d spend them later.

                She lumbered closer to Toriel, listening to her hum as she washed. “…Can I help, uh…” She paused for a moment. She almost called her ‘Kris’s mom’ again.

                She still didn’t quite understand why she did that, some sort of reluctance with calling people ‘Mister’ or ‘Missus’, probably. She usually just called adults by their first name. But…she respected Toriel. She couldn’t do that. But her pride kept her from calling her ‘Miss’.

                She swallowed her pride. The elder monster had done a lot for her, she could manage to show her proper respect. “…Ms. Toriel?”

                Toriel peered over her shoulder and smiled warmly. “Of course, my child.”

                “Cool. But uh…you might have to show me how to do it…I’ve never washed dishes before.” Susie rubbed the back of her neck, sheepishly, as she moved to stand next to the older, slightly taller monster.

                “Oh, it’s simple…just watch me.”

                The reptile watched the goat for a few moments, and then grabbed a sponge, and started to scrub. There were a few moments of silence, as Susie mulled over the thoughts in her head.

                “…Ms. Toriel?”

                “Yes, my child?”

                “…Thank you…for all this.” Susie quietly said, looking over to her benefactor.

                “Think nothing of it dear.” Toriel smiled to her. “Just be sure to thank Kris as well, it was his idea, after all.”

                Susie smiled back at the caprine monster, before looking back to her work. She scrubbed a plate for a few moments, before she spoke once more.

                “And uh…could we…not tell anyone about my teddy monster?” She finally asked with a blush, her voice hesitant.

                “Of course, my child!” Toriel chortled, bring a hand to her mouth. “Your secret is safe with me.”

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

 


	6. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Monday, and Noelle feels prepared to finally talk to her crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTAINS: Mostly just some Teenage Melodrama, a reference to gas, a little exposition, and of course, Language.
> 
> Oh my god look I dids it!
> 
> Man, this one went through quite a few rewrites. I just couldn't figure out just how to go through the plotline I wanted to.  
> I even thought about starting the romance for reals right here, but that felt a little soon. All the same, I think it came out better for it in the end!
> 
> A small note: I added three more students to Alphys's class. Mostly so they may be available for later use, and the fact that I kind feel like a class size of nine is tiny even for a small town like Hometown. Which I'm sure I have mentioned, is larger in my world. Still a small town, but more than just two handfuls of people.
> 
> Enjoy!

               

* * *

 

                Noelle felt prepared.

                She felt the same way whenever she took a test she had dutifully studied for. She felt calm, confident, even a little cocky. It was a stark contrast from her usual worry-wart behavior. She felt like she could do it. That today was the day she would accomplish her goal.

                This sunny Monday morning, she would talk to Susie.

                She had prepared for it ever since she went home Friday. She practically lived in the library on Saturday, absorbing the information from every self help book she could find. Then she spent hours in front of a picture of Susie she had cut out of an old yearbook, practicing talking to her. Hell, in a particularly dorky fit of preparation, she had made a conversation flow chart.

                _I have to remember to shred that later._

                But her ‘talk to crush’ prep didn’t stop there. She had incorporated her best friend Catti at nearly every opportunity, so she could give her whatever advice she had to give. Noelle would have preferred Catti actually have some dating experience, but between her and Noelle’s father Rudy, she felt like she had plenty of advice to work off of.

                She even pleaded with her bestie to spend the night Sunday, simply so the feline could help her with the make-up she was going to wear today. It took a little bit of convincing, but Noelle was persistent, and soon her friend caved in. She wanted this whole thing to go perfectly! And Catti was really good with make-up.

                And Noelle was not. In fact, Noelle wasn’t entirely a fan of make-up. She felt it made her look…off somehow. Catti had told her she should go au naturelle, but the very idea sent a nervous shiver through the doe’s body. This was not the time to be modest, she had to go all out!

                She had to woo that lizard!

                Her preparations were so extensive that she had only eaten dry salad for the entire weekend. Her stomach was churning and growling, demanding more sustenance, but gosh dang it she wanted to be as thin as possible when Susie saw her! She wore her best casual outfit, a green sweater with red sleeves and a red box pleat skirt with green segments inside the folds – knee length. On her feet she wore long white socks that covered the distance between the hem of her skirt and the tip of her feet, which ended in her trusty black mary janes. She had combed her hair an extra hundred times today, meticulously removing every single strand of stray hair she could find. It was golden, it was soft, it was beautiful.

                For once, Noelle felt…pretty.

                She remembered looking at herself in the mirror after Catti had finished with her make-up and seeing an entirely different person staring back at her. She wasn’t Noelle: the plain and fat doormat of a doe. She was Noelle, the beautiful and …still kind of fat… bombshell of a girl! And that fact brought her confidence.

                However, in the back of her mind there was always a worry. A worry that she was trying too hard. After all, this wasn’t her, she had realized that herself. She was a dork that liked sweater vests unironically and wore good girl shoes and didn’t paint up her face. She wasn’t this made up doll waiting in front of Susie’s locker.

                She shook her head in an attempt to quiet those thoughts. Who cares if she wasn’t herself! So long as she could be with Susie she didn’t care if she had to pretend to be someone else forever!

                Desperate to keep herself from walking back down that mental trail, she looked down at the small package in her hands. This gift wrapped in green paper with the most adorable plum colored bow was Susie’s Christmas present. Traditionally, Noelle would give all her classmates a little gift on the last day of school before the winter break. Every year she would place a box of Christmas cookies or a fruit cake into Susie’s desk, unable to actually give it to her in person like everyone else.

                Well not this year. It was time to break tradition in the name of love. Not only was Susie getting her gift a day early, but the dolled-up doe was going to give it to her personally. And then they would talk, and maybe…just maybe one of them would ask the other out. Maybe even it would be Susie! And even if there was no asking out, the hard part would be done. Noelle would have talked to her, and the door for further conversations would be swung wide open. And then the doe could start wiggling her way into Susie’s heart!

                She just hoped she chose the right gift. Having braved the hobby/bakery shop in town - with its strange arachnid owner - Noelle had purchased Susie some expensive artists chalk. She just hoped Kris had been truthful with her, and that Susie actually did like eating chalk. A weird habit to be sure, but something about the idea of the giant reptile eating things that should not be eaten just...excited the little deer.

                Noelle chewed her lip, picturing those glorious, powerful jaws chomping away at the chalk like it was nothing, letting lose a powerful _CRUNCH_ with each bite. She could feel her cheeks flush red as she instinctively rubbed her thick thighs together. With a soft gasp, she shook her head violently to clear it, face darkening red even further.

                _I really should be more worried about stuff like that turning me on..._ She thought. Gods help her there were so many strange things about Susie she found arousing that it honestly concerned her. Hell, Susie had burped once and it sent a pleasureful shiver down Noelle's spine for some reason!

                What was wrong with her?!

                At the same time however, she didn't care what odd things she found attractive. Where everyone else saw a powerful brute, Noelle saw a bastion of safety with a heart of gold. She often dreamed about what it'd be like for Susie to hold her in those powerful arms.

                She was certain there was nothing in the world that could make her feel more secure than the purple saurian's loving embrace.

                Her thoughts swimming with alluring images, the young doe felt her heart race. She started to anxiously pant and her brow began caking in sweat. Oh god, she couldn't do this, she couldn't do this!

                But just when she was about to run away like so many times before, she closed her eyes. She thought back to one of the books she read, on how to deal with anxiety.  _In through the nose...out through the mouth. Deep, steady breaths. Just focus on your breathing, Noelle.  
_

A shaky inhale, and Noelle mentally counted to five, before exhaling and doing the same. She repeated this a few times, and like magic, her heart started to steady it's rhythm to a more manageable rate.

In some ways she wished Catti was here, to give her a final pep talk before Susie showed up. But the doe had sent her away. She had to do this alone, she couldn’t look like she was some sort of coward that couldn’t do this on her own! Because that was the truth, and this was no time for the truth!

                In through the nose, out through the mouth. Noelle continued to psyche herself up. Little by little, the urge to run away was fading. Why would she run? This would work! She had prepared so hard, thought of everything! The only thing that worried her was the gift and she could definitely pass it off as a joke gift if need be! Susie probably liked joke gifts! She could make some cookies or something for her for tomorrow as a real present. The important thing was that she would have finally let herself be known by her crush, and their relationship could blossom forth from there!

                This would work. It **had** to work!

                Her eyes slowly opened as she heard the loud ‘ka-chunk’ of the school’s front doors reverberate through the halls. She looked down and adjusted her skirt nervously, before glancing back up. “Hey S-” She began, but the words died in her mouth.

                Her jaw dropped, as the object of her affection lumbered in beside Kris, laughing boisterously. But this wasn’t the Susie she remembered. She was different.

                She was…groomed.

                The sun from outside shown off her messy yet still brushed aubergine hair as it cascaded down her powerful shoulders. Her teeth – no longer a sickly yellow color – gleamed like gold inside her mouth. She even had new clothes! She wore a brand new, black, thick winter jacket – adorned with so many spikes and patches that it would look at home in some sort of punk rock album cover. She unzipped it as she came inside, revealing a tight shirt beneath. She might as well have been naked under the jacket though, the garment did little to conceal the powerful curves of the giant teen’s breasts. Noelle could feel her cheeks and nose heat up as they brightened. She could see the faint outline of Susie’s bra, and it looked like she wore a tube bra. Her legs were covered in some thick black sweatpants instead of her usual tattered jeans, even her favorite combat boots seemed to be shined!

                She looked…gorgeous.

                All of Noelle’s confidence shattered. She hadn’t planned for this! Don’t get her wrong, she would have thought the large lizard was beautiful no matter what she looked like. But the fact that she was a bit homely made the task of talking to her seem a little less intimidating.

                Now though? Noelle felt…overshadowed by the Amazonian goddess.

                Every last bit of her prep work - the books, the advice, the mental psyching up - fear suddenly kicked it all out of her mind. She tried to remember what to do, what she had planned, but the overwhelming need to flee had overpowered her logical thought.

                She couldn’t talk to her like this, she just couldn’t!

                Her heart leapt into her throat and then dropped into her stomach, which was apparently practicing to be a gymnast. Adrenaline spiked into her head, her knees trembled. Noelle tried to beat down the nervous gas bubbles her anxiety was creating as she looked for an escape route.

 _Thank the Angel my stomach is empty!_ She thought, rushing to her locker and proceeding to fumble with her combination lock. _I don't know if I could manage otherwise!_ With that thought in her head, she opened her locker and did the only thing that came to her fear wracked mind.

                She tried to stuff herself into her own locker.

                Noelle did not feel prepared.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                Susie didn’t feel scary.

                It was amazing what a nice shower and new clothes could do for a person’s self-image. For once in a long time, Susie didn’t feel like the equivalent of Frankenstein’s monster. She felt imposing and tough, yes. But not scary. It kind of surprised her how much she enjoyed that feeling.

                Hell, she even thought about actually holding a conversation with Noelle. Maybe she wouldn’t be so scared of her now. Sure, actually dating her was still out of the question but being friends would be pretty cool all the same!

                She laughed as Kris cracked a joke on the steps up to the school’s door. Man, that guy was funny, frankly it’s why she hung around with him, even if he got on her nerves from time to time.

                With a loud ‘ka-chunk’ they pushed the doors open together, and the teenage lizard let her laughter die down to a low rumble, lumbering along side her friend. She turned her gaze forward to look down the hall.

                And there was Noelle, standing there as pretty as a picture in the cutest little dress she ever saw. Susie slowed to a stop at the intersection between the main hallway and the side corridors, feigning a conversation with Kris, but she kept the image in her peripheral.

                Was she standing in front of Susie’s locker? What was she doing there?

                The teenaged lizard gave a casual wave to Kris as he wandered over to his locker in the side corridor, before turning and making her way over to her own.

                Noelle was gone.

                Or at least, she was gone from in front of Susie’s locker. Now she was at her own, a few lockers away Susie’s. She looked frantic as she tried to work her combination lock.

                Was she in distress? Susie didn’t even think about it; her legs worked on autopilot as she made her way over to the doe. Who seemed to be trying to stuff her chunky form inside the too small space, her belly fat squishing against the sides of the opening. Susie had seen this before.

                She was trying to hide inside her locker.

                Susie’s heart sank some. So much for not feeling scary, the poor reindeer was still afraid of her. But then, she got her second wind, and shook her head, opting to actually talk to her. Maybe it was just a fluke, maybe she was just generally nervous. She wasn’t trying to hide because Susie was walking up to her, those two events were completely unrelated.

                The reptile wracked her brain to come up with a good opening statement.

                “What’s up, Noelle?” Was what she went with, trying to keep her eyes trained on Noelle’s face instead of watching that fleshy form try to squeeze into the confines of the locker. She didn’t want to get herself too excited, not to mention it was kind of creepy.

                _Is she wearing make up?_

                The reindeer looked up at Susie with widened eyes and shrunken pupils. She could see the fear in her eyes, and it made her heart sink. Noelle released a throaty bellow – not unlike the call of the animal she resembled – and slapped a hand to her mouth, blushing fervently.

                She was terrified. But still, Susie tried to press on.

                “Uh…you okay?” Allowing herself to look down at the girl’s wedged stomach briefly, she continued. “What…are you doing anyway?”

                There was silence for a couple of seconds, before Noelle finally spoke. Susie could see the sweat cake across her brow as she trembled. “O-O-Oh! I…I um…I’m just…doing a safety check!” She declared with a strained smile, her stomach seemed to react to her nervousness, as it began to release a soft gurgling sound.

                “…A safety check?” That was bullshit. Susie knew it was bullshit. She narrowed her eyes under her bangs but tried to keep herself from grimacing in frustration. She knew the real reason, after all.

                “Y-Yeah! I just…um…want to make sure…u-um…students can fit in their lockers in case of…uh…e-earthquakes!” Noelle answered frantically, pushing against her locker in an attempt to get un stuck. “G-Guess…um…some widening is in order! Ha hahahaha!” The laughter awkwardly lowered in volume as it went on, the doe’s nose glowing bright enough to save Christmas.

                Susie just pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes beneath her bangs. There had never been an earthquake in Hometown for as long as Susie lived here. Admittedly, that was only a short time, but still. Safety check nothing.

                Noelle was terrified of her. New clothes, new outlook, clean hair – and she was still terrified of her just like she always had been.

                Her new found confidence spewed out of her like a balloon with a hole in it. She thought briefly about reaching out and helping Noelle get free, but soon realized she’d probably scare her even more. With that in mind, she thrust her hands into her pockets and slouched. “Yeah…sure. Whatever.” Was all  the burly teen could manage to say, as she turned on her heel and sauntered her way to class. She didn’t want to make the deer any more frantic with fear.

                Susie felt scary.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>

* * *

 

                _She was so fucking close!_

                Catti frowned deeply as she accompanied Noelle to the class room. She was so angry with her best friend.

                _All that preparation. All that confidence building. Fucking spending the night and listening to her mumble and fart in her sleep! For jack shit._

Not that Catti really minded. She’d do anything for her friend, and let’s face it, she thought both those things were kind of cute. Noelle really was adorable when she slept. It wasn’t like the dour cat slept much anyway, she typically kept herself going on sugar and energy drinks. She didn’t sleep: She crashed.

                What really had her upset was just the sheer frustration, to have victory snatched from her claws. So close to Noelle being happier than she ever had been before, and yet now she was back at square one.

                Make no mistake, as stoic as Catti was, she truly did care about her best friend. She owed her that much. Noelle was always there for her, for the good times and the bad. Hell, Catti had cried on her shoulder when her father had the accident that caused him to lose his right arm. And Catti **never** let anyone see her cry. They were the best of friends and the feline would do anything for her.

                That didn’t stop her from becoming irritated with her, though. She loved how sweet she was, but she just wished she had a little more backbone! Granted, she didn’t expect for Susie to come in with fresh duds and washed hair, but you had to fucking roll with the punches, Noelle!

                She peered to her friend, about to vent her anger…when she noticed her face.

                Noelle’s head hung low, bringing more definition to her slight double chin. Her usual bucktooth smile was gone for a deep frown. Her ears were drooping lower than Catti had ever seen them droop.

                The feline’s gaze softened, and her anger melted into guilt. What was she thinking? Catti couldn’t be mad at her.

                She was more than upset enough with herself.

                She reached over and pat Noelle’s back, ears flattening against her head in sympathy. “Look…you couldn’t prepare for that. Let’s just…regroup, okay?” She said, in her best encouraging tone. “You can try again tomorrow.”

                Noelle said nothing, she didn’t even turn her head to her best friend as she pushed her way through the doorway into the classroom. Silently she waddled her way towards her desk in the front row, closest to the far wall, and took a seat.

                Catti sighed a little and took her own seat behind her. She couldn’t even relish in the tell tale creak the chair released when her big, three-hundred-pound butt settled on it.

                Jockington, the snake-like student that sat behind her and her self-proclaimed cohort slithered past, regarding Noelle and then looking to Catti.

                “Heya, Cats…what’s up?” He said with his usual big grin. For some reason that stupid grin did lift Catti’s spirits a little. Jockington was as dumb as a brick, but he was loyal and optimistic, traits Catti may have taken advantage of a little too much, admittedly.

                “Don’t worry about it.” She told him. “Noelle just…isn’t feeling well.”

                Jockington cocked his serpentine head, his well-meaning pea brain processing the information, before smiling and nodding. “’Aight, hope you feel better Noelle!” He exclaimed to the doe.

                Noelle didn’t answer.

                It didn’t stop the snake monster though; he just slipped past the gothic teen and took his seat behind her.

                Little by little the classroom’s twelve desks were filled up. Kris was already sitting next to Catti, while Susie was behind him. Berdly arrived a few seconds after Catti had sat down, taking his own place in front of Kris.

                _I swear if that jerk says anything shitty to Noelle, I’ll slit his throat with my claws._ Catti thought, narrowing her eyes as the blue jay monster sat at his desk, daring him to try something.

                Next to him was a transfer from Temmie Town High, the next town over to Hometown. Unsurprisingly, it was entirely populated by Temmies – monsters that resembled a curious combination of a dog and a cat. They tended to be a bit…unorthodox, speaking in riddles or like English isn’t their first language, but they were nice enough at least. Tem – as the class had taken to calling her – was one such Temmie. A little weird but friendly as the day was long.

                She had this weird obsession with her ‘brother’ though. Her brother being a hardboiled egg she simply called ‘Eg’.

                Somehow, she had even had ‘him’ legally recognized as a student. He had a report card, tests, and everything. He apparently even got rather fantastic grades, a fact Catti wasn’t quite sure was possible.

                Temmies were weird.

                Behind her was Mary-Kaye Munstar, a young reptilian monster who always wore a poncho to hide her still growing arms. The adults always referred to her as the ‘Munstar Kid’, which tended to sound like ‘Monster Kid’, leading to the whole class just calling her MK for short. She was pretty cool, did some amazing things with music from what Catti knew – which was a lot. She tended to put her foot in her mouth though.

                Catti kind of thought it was oddly endearing though.

                Behind her was the wanna-be class clown, Snowdrake Iceberg. Snowy to his friends, of which he had few. He was nice and all, but he tried a little hard with his jokes, and they never were very…good. It got on people’s nerves a lot. He didn’t seem to mind too much though and seemed determined to prove his comedy chops. Catti couldn’t help but admire that determination.

                The middle and back seats of the last column of desks were taken by the Eyewalker twins, Loox and Asitig. Stocky, one eyed Monsters with horns and big teeth, they used to be the school bullies. That is, until Susie showed up in town a few years ago. The giant lizard completely overshadowed them, figuratively and literally. Nowadays they stuck around each other, occasionally falling back into their old ways but always on the lookout for Susie. Nobody really minded; they never were very good at being bullies anyway.

                And finally, the first desk of the last column was taken by one Heats Flamesman, a small fire elemental monster. Nice enough guy, tended to overact to the most curious things though, like someone remembering his name.

                The bell rang, but all the students kept conversing with their usual cliques, whiling away the time. This was normal, their teacher was often a bit late in the mornings. Catti was sure it had to do with her frequent visits to Bunchyroll.com and other likeminded websites. The only ones that didn’t talk to anyone were Berdly, Noelle, and of course Catti herself. Jockington was talking to her, but she was only half listening, flicking through her phone while contemplating what to do next about her best friend.

                Five minutes later, the sound of the door opening and claws clacking on the faux wooden flooring of the classroom caused the cat's gaze to rise. “O-Oh gosh. S-Sorry I’m late, everyone!” Said the diminutive, hunched, be speckled orange-yellow lizard. This was their teacher, Miss Alphys. Despite her constant lateness, tendency to go off-topic, and general timid nature; she was a surprisingly competent teacher. What she lacked in presence she made up for in a helpful demeanor and vast knowledge of subject matter. Catti had looked into her once, apparently, she was going to get a doctorate in science, but for some reason couldn’t go the full distance. Her guess was the bucktooth nerd’s anxiety got the better of her in the final stretch.

                The short adult hobbled over to her desk and set down her briefcase, taking out a few papers and placing them on her desk. Catti’s keen gaze could see a poster for an anime convention flutter out before Alphys caught it with a blush. She stuffed it back into the bag and closed it up, adjusting her glasses and taking a slow breath. “G-Good morning class. Glad to see everyone is here today because…um…we don’t have time for roll call.” The lizard gave a sheepish, strained smile, before clearing her throat awkwardly. “S-So! Why don’t we…uh…why don’t…we…uh…” The teacher shifted through her disorganized papers for a moment. “Ah hah! W-Why don’t we pick up our lecture about Monster Taxonomy from Friday?”

                Miss Alphys hopped off her seat and turned towards the board, snatching up the chalk and starting to write. “Now…A-As we covered before…the Monster kingdom is divided into f-four main Phylums…Animal, Mythic, Material, and…uh…Temmie.” She explained, writing all four words on the board, complete with bullet points for their characteristics – except for Temmies, which simply had ‘You’ll learn this in college’ written beneath it. She cleared her throat and turned back around. “N-Now um…given these characteristics…can anyone t-tell me how many people in this room are part of the Mythic Phylum?”

                A few in the class shifted around in their desks.

                “Oh! Yo! There are like…three!” MK exclaimed with a big smile. “Snowy, Loox and Asitig! Uh…right?”

                Alphys gave a smile and nodded. “V-Very good, Mary!”

                Catti only half paid attention from then on. She knew all this information already. Despite her B average, the feline was very intelligent. She just didn’t care about doing the work to get an A. Besides, there were more important things to do with her life, especially right now.

                She eyed Noelle in front of her. It didn’t seem like she had moved since she sat down. That was worrying to say the very least. The Doe was bit of a teacher’s pet, sometimes Alphys had to ask her to stop raising her hand to answer questions. She wasn’t sure if it was her incessant need to please or some kind of round about way to show Susie that she was smart, but it didn’t matter. Right now, she seemed to be staring blankly into space.

                Catti waited for Alphys to turn back around, and jabbed Noelle firmly with a pencil.

                No reaction. Not even a flinch. Usually that would make her gasp in surprise.

                Very concerning…

                Class went on without a hitch, and even seemed to pass by faster since Catti was wracking her brain for ideas. She knew Noelle had entered an emotional spiral; she knew her that well. But the extent seemed particularly extreme. Once the bell rang for lunch break, she grabbed her things and moved to walk with Noelle, joining her in the courtyard. They sat together on their usual bench, a fair distance away from the rest of their classmates.

                Her stomach was growling, but the fat cat put appeasing her ravenous appetite on hold for a moment. Her friend needed her.

                “Noe? You okay? You haven’t said a word since this morning.” She quietly asked.

                Finally, Noelle acknowledged her, shifting her gaze towards her friend with a frown. “…I fucking suck, Catti.”

                The feline’s eyes widened. She had…never heard her best friend use the word ‘fuck’ before. It took her a minute to regroup her thoughts and speak again.

                “What? No, you don’t. You just got spooked.” Catti said, trying to be encouraging as she watched Noelle take out a plastic container from her bag. A small salad. That’s all she was having for lunch.

                “But I _always_ get spooked.” Noelle retorted, furrowing her brow in irritation. “If it’s not _one thing_ it’s another!” She growled - actually growled - as she tore off the top of her container. Catti was about to respond, but her friend kept talking. “I just…I’m tired of it! I…I can’t do it! It’s not gonna happen, it’s never gonna happen!” She hung her head, the anger in her voice melting away for remorse. “I’m…I’m sorry Catti. But…I give up.”

                “Wait what?!”

                “I said I give up!” The volume of her voice increased again, as she turned to her friend. “I just…I can’t keep hoping anymore. I’m done. I’m just…I’m done.”

                “Noelle, no. You can’t give up…” Catti couldn’t believe her ears. Noelle never gave up, for all her timidity, the doe was a bastion of hope. Catti didn’t want to lose that about her friend, she needed that. Hell, Noelle needed that.

                “Well, I am! I just…” Noelle sighed, her ears drooping. “…I just can’t do it anymore Catti. I can’t deal with being so disappointed with myself anymore. I mean…I don’t even know what she likes. I don’t even know if she’s gay!”

                “Oh, she’s totally gay, look at how she walks.”

                “Okay. Fine. She’s gay. But what kind of girls does she like?! Maybe she likes girls like her? Maybe she likes other reptiles! I just…I don’t even know where to start. And the only way I can find out is if I ask her. Which I can’t do, because I can’t talk to her! It’s a catch twenty-two, Catti!” Her ears drooped even further. “It’s hopeless.”

                The gothic cat thought for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Her own ears pinned back as an oppressive silence drifted between the two young teens. Noelle stared at her pitifully tiny salad.

                “…Here. You can have my lunch.” She finally said, passing the container over to Catti and standing up. “I don’t feel like eating.”

                “Noe…where are you going?”

                “…I’m just going to sit at my desk until class starts again.” The reindeer whispered and began to trudge her way through the courtyard and back into the main building. Catti tried to stop her, but what could she say? Noelle’s logic was pretty sound, it even discouraged Catti some. Besides, she figured at this point, there was nothing she could say to repair this. Maybe someone else could, but not her. She was better at doing things, not saying things.

                So, what could she do?

                Catti contemplated Noelle’s words as she began to eat her club sandwich lunch. How _could_ she learn what Susie liked without actually talking to her?

                _I could ask Kris. He’s friends with Susie, he’d probably know._ She thought, then grimaced, taking a bite of her sandwich. _Nah. I really don’t trust that weirdo. He’d probably tell me some lie just to fuck with Noelle._ Asking Susie herself was also out of the question. You didn’t really go up to an acquaintance and ask ‘Hey, got any kinks?’.

                Though Catti did wish she could just do that and get it over with. But no, even if she did bite the bullet like that, Susie wouldn’t tell her anything. She was a classic closed off individual. Come to think of it, Kris probably didn’t know what she was into either.

                The dour feline thought and thought, her mind continuing to return to one idea that Noelle had made her swear never to do. And that was dig up information, like the nosey cat would do for literally everyone else. Noelle was worried it’d basically be stalking, which she wasn’t entirely wrong in that regard.

                _Man, if I could do that, all the problems would be solved._

                And then it hit her. Why doesn’t she? This was crisis time; it wasn’t time for trivialities like promises. This was for Noelle’s own good. For her own happiness. Sure, she’d be upset with Catti for a time, but she’d get over it. Especially if she finally got the courage to get with Susie.

                Catti nodded to herself, taking another bite of her lunch. It was decided. She was going to do whatever she could to find out what made Susie's heart pump.

                Or failing that, what got her engine running.

                She was going to find out everything she could about Susie.

* * *

 

<♥♥♥>


	7. To Be Cool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noelle does a bad thing for a good reason.

                Noelle sniffled, wiping away a bit of liquid from her eye as she entered the school’s main building again.

                She felt awful for so many reasons. She was mean to her friend, she screwed up her plan, and now she was a stone’s throw away from crying in school. Like a toddler. Her heart felt like a twenty-pound weight in her chest, crushing all the organs beneath it and making her want to just curl up somewhere and wait for death.

                All her classmates were outside in the courtyard or in the cafeteria, making the locker lined hallways seem so empty and foreboding. If the young doe didn’t know any better, she’d say they went on forever.

                They sure felt like they did right now.

                Holding back tears, she stumbled her way through the corridors on her way back to Miss Alphys’s classroom. She hoped the diminutive teacher was eating with the other faculty in the teacher’s lounge, because all Noelle wanted to be was alone right now. Be alone and take stock of her life, wasted and destroyed before she even was an adult.

                She started to turn the corner, but paused, peering down the hallway leading to the exit doors. Without even thinking about it, she changed direction, hobbling towards the door and reaching out with one of her dainty hands.

                Hesitation brought that hand to a stop, fingers curling as Noelle bit her lip. Was…she really going to do this? Willingly skip school?

                Beyond these doors was another world. A world devoid of classrooms and crushes and failed attempts at socialization. And in her eyes, it was a gateway to a different her. A…cool her. One that Susie might actually like.

                She never skipped school unless she was sick. Hell, the last time she remembered skipping school was when she had the chicken pocks, years ago. At the same time, she always wanted to. Not because she didn’t like learning mind you, she loved it. She was a nerd and she knew it. But skipping school was what cool people did. It’s what interesting and fun and attractive people did.

                People like Susie skipped school.

                People like Noelle – the boring, nerdy, plain people – went dutifully. Every day. Rain, shine, snow and whatever. They were scared of disappointing their parents, their teachers, everyone they ever knew. So, they came and stayed and got more and more boring as time went on.

                The teenager clamped her eyes shut, feeling sweat cake across her brow. Her hand shook as even now, all she could feel was guilt.

_What would mom say? What would dad say?_

                Suddenly, her trembling stopped, and Noelle’s ears perked. She glanced upward from her hand.

                Dad. That’s who she needed right now. She needed her father’s affection, tell her things would be okay. But that would mean fessing up to skipping. She didn’t know how he would react. And what if she ran into her mom on the way to the hospital?!

                She’d get in so much trouble and upset them both. She didn’t want to upset anyone! She wanted everyone to be happy! And then she came to the realization: She was part of everyone.

                Leaving school would make her happy. Going to talk to her dad would make her happy. Being **cool** would make her happy. Staying at school would make her unhappy, if becoming more upset was even possible at this moment.

                Her mind screamed at her for her own selfishness, but she needed this. She shoved the door open with that loud ‘ka-chunk’ and headed out into the winter air. The quiet ‘crunch crunch’ of her feet padding through the snow was music to her ears. A chorus praising her accomplishment.

                Once she was far enough away, she retrieved her phone from her jacket pocket. She had to at least tell Catti where she was, so she wouldn’t worry. She could do that much, and it would ease her conscience too.

 **N. Holiday:** “ _I’m leaving”_

 **catti:**   _“?”_

**catti:** _“wtf u tlkin bout?”_

**N. Holiday:** _“I’m leaving school early.”_

**catti:** _“…”_

**catti:** _“4 real?”_

**N. Holiday:** _“For real.”_

**N. Holiday:** _“I want to go home.”_

**N. Holiday:** _“Just tell everyone I felt too sick to stay or something.”_

**N. Holiday:** _“Okay?”_

                There was a long pause, and Noelle found herself hoping that Catti understood that she just couldn’t be there right now. _Please, just do this for me, Cat._

**catti:** _“ok”_

                Noelle sighed in relief, closing her eyes and pressing her phone to her chest in mock prayer. _Thank the Angel for Catti._

                Her phone vibrated in her hand, bringing her back to reality, and she moved it away from her chest to see the new messages.

**catti:** _“Don’t do anything stupid.”_

**catti:** _“Please.”_

                “…What do you mean by that?” Noelle thought aloud, quirking a brow as she pondered her friends’ texts. What was strange about them was Catti actually took the time to write her text with proper grammar. She didn’t do that…unless she was being deathly serious…

                And then the answer hit her, making her stop cold in her tracts. “Oh gosh, Catti, no don’t think like that!” She didn’t want her friend to worry like that, and to be frank she didn’t want to think about something like that either.

                The doe frantically texted her back.

**N. Holiday:** _“imnotgonnacommitsuicideijustwannagohome!!!!”_

**catti:** _“Good.”_

**catti:** _“Because I’d be really mad.”_

**catti:** _“…And really sad.”_

                Noelle took a breath to steady herself but couldn’t help but smile at her friends worry. Catti was a great friend, putting up with all her lovey-dovey, emotional nonsense. And it was times like this that reminded her how much the stoic feline really cared about her. She texted her back, calmly this time.

**N. Holiday:** _“Thanks, Catti. You’re the best! <3”_

**catti:** _“i kno”_

                              **catti:** _“will u b comin 2 skool 2morow?”_

                She stared at that last line for a few moments, not sure how to answer. Would she come to school tomorrow? On one hand…she really didn’t want to see Susie. Or well, she did…but she didn’t.

                It was complicated. Everything was complicated.

                Soon though, she remembered that she couldn’t miss tomorrow. She wasn’t about to have everyone not get their gifts because she was down in the dumps. That’d be awful.

                Someone should at least have a good holiday, even if it isn’t her.

**N. Holiday:** _“Of course. Everyone needs their gifts!”_

**catti:** _“cool”_

**catti:** _“c u l8er”_

**N. Holiday:** _“Yeah, have a good day, Catti.”_

                Noelle slipped her phone back into her pocket before continuing on her way…

<♥♥♥>

                Noelle hated having to come here. Don’t get her wrong, she loved her dad and was always eager to see him, but…she hated where he was, for a whole score of reasons. Dads were supposed to be there at home, so you can talk to them and hug them and they could tell corny jokes to make you laugh. They weren’t supposed to be…here. In this cavern of white sterility.

                The fact his room was at the end of the hall made things worse. It was so eerily quiet in the corridor, just the quiet tacking of the young girl’s mary janes against the hard, white floor.

                The hospital always seemed like another world, a foreign world, and Noelle hated that her father had to stay here.

                Everyday she hoped and prayed and hoped some more that today would the day he would come home, that things would be back to normal again. But he hadn’t been home in months. Whenever she asked how he was doing, he’d make up some sort of excuse. To spare her feelings, she was sure.

She wished he would just tell her what was wrong…

                Finally, she reached the end of the hallway, turning to her right to spy her destination. A simple door. The room number was 128, and just under those numbers was another sign that said _R. Holiday_. Her father’s room. Even the door seemed sterile and lifeless.

                Like every time she came, Noelle found herself taking in the image of that door. Logging it away in her brain. She wasn’t sure why. She tried to envision Christmas decorations on it in an effort to distract herself from it’s upsetting cleanness. But each wreath, each popcorn ball or colorful streamer she hung across her mental image just melted away within a few moments.

                There was no dressing it up. A solemn portal it was, and a solemn portal it would remain.

                In some way, Noelle felt guilty for coming to her dad with her problems. There he was, in a hospital bed with a tube in his arm, and she came to him with frivolous things like dating.

                The doe peered towards her the floor in thought. _It’s not like I have a choice…_ she thought. _This is something you ask adults. And I certainly can’t ask mom._ She gave a soft sigh, shutting her eyes. With her mother there was guilt and fear.

                She did love her mom, and her mom loved her, she was well aware of that. But at the same time…Mayor Holly Holiday was an intimidating woman. And she was the mayor too.

                Noelle still hadn’t told her of her…preferences. She honestly hoped that day would never come, just to avoid the conflict that would ensue. Not just between her and her mom, but with her mom and her job. Sure, monsters weren’t humans, and they generally were far more accepting of same-sex relationships, but there was still a prejudice, especially amongst the more religious types.

                Sure, the Book of the Angel said nothing for or against the union of two monster women but that didn’t stop the stigma. Susie’s overall reputation did not help matters at all. Maybe part of the reason Noelle had so much trouble with her confidence was more than just Susie being intimidating.

                She didn’t want to hurt her mom, or her mom’s job. She didn’t want to let anyone down. Her mom, Hometown’s citizens…anyone.

                A tiny part of her wanted to turn around, go home, and just settle into being a spinster for the rest of her life, instead of trying to do something she really shouldn’t.

                She knitted her brows and clutched the sides of her face, squeezing her eyes tight. _No! Stop it! Don’t think like that!_ Her mental voice rang out. _Stop thinking of everyone else before you! You’re a person that deserves to be happy too!_ The frustrated deer did her best to banish those unhelpful thoughts somewhere deep in her mental dungeons, burying her misplaced guilt away.

                Once she was done, she lifted her head up, and relaxed. A slow breath blew past her lips, and the tension oozed out from her shoulders. Finally, she opened her eyes, and reached out for the doorknob. A quick turn, and she pushed her way into the hospital room.

                “Hey, Sugarplum!” A slightly strained but enthusiastic voice greeted her. All those worries seemed to melt away, as Noelle saw her father, smiling at her from his hospital bed. Somehow, even the fact that he was so sick seemed so distant now. She found herself grinning at her father, and her legs sprang her body over to his bedside, wrapping her arms around him in a tight, loving hug, which he of course returned in kind.

                “Hi dad!” She exclaimed, basking her father’s embrace. Everything was better when she was with her dad.

                “Hey Christmas Present!” Rudolph Holiday smiled, squeezing his beloved daughter against his lanky form. There was a comfortable, content silence that crept across the room, the two content in each other’s arms.

                Until Rudy finally asked. “. . .Shouldn’t you be in school?”

                Noelle’s eyes shot open, and her ears drooped, heat coming to her cheeks. “Oh…um…” Very slowly the portly deer let go, avoiding eye contact with her father as she melted into her usual seat at his bedside. “A-About that. . .”

She tried not to think of the sizable butt-print she had been leaving in it…

                “Noelle, relax. You’re not in trouble.” Her father reassured her, donning that goofy grin of his. “I know you; you would never skip school without a good reason.”

                The young teen felt her heart sank as she stared intently towards the floor. _Angel above, am I really THAT predictable and boring?!_ She felt her brows knit in frustration, to which the elder deer picked up on.

                “Uh…did I say something wrong?”

                Noelle sighed and shook her head. “No, no. Dad…you’re right. I wouldn’t skip school without a good reason…I’m too boring to do that.” There was a bite to her voice that she wanted to apologize for, but her father cut her off.

                “…Boring? Where’s that coming from?” He raised his eyebrow quizzically.

                Noelle frowned, looking off to the side.

                A quiet came over the hospital room once more, but this one was far less comfortable and content. The young girl wrung her hands slightly, chewing at her lip, unsure of what to say. Fortunately, Dad was the one to break the silence.

                “What happened?” He finally asked, his tone full of affectionate concern.

                The younger monster found a wetness around her eye sockets, shutting them to try and stop the flow. “I…I really was going to do it dad. I was going to finally do it.” She began, wiping away a tear.

                “Susie again, huh?” Rudolph nodded sympathetically, patting her shoulder for a moment.

                “. . .Yeah.” A long exhale escaped the girl’s mouth, gathering her thoughts on the events that transpired earlier. “You know how I always give everyone a present before Christmas break?”

                “Right. You’ve done that since kindergarten.” Rudy smiled proudly, listening.

                “Well, I was going to finally give Susie hers…personally. You know? Just so I could…talk to her some.” Noelle rubbed her arm gently and continued. “I mean…I searched for a present since mid-November, got all dressed up, stood by her locker…I had even had Catti stay over last night to do my make up!”

                “Well, that explains that.” The adult chuckled. “You look great sweetheart.”

                That made Noelle feel just a little better, but not by much. Rudy was her dad; he was practically obligated to say she looked nice. Still though, she found a slight smile creeping across her lips. “Anyway…I was ready. I had even memorized a flow chart of conversation just so I wouldn’t get too flustered!” And that good feeling melted away, as Noelle realized just how…nerdy that was. Her dad couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle.

                But then his tone became serious. “And then what?”

                “Then…she came in.” Noelle’s ears drooped lower than she though they were even able to droop. She felt the creeping specter of utter defeat overtake her heart once more and sniffled to try and combat the tears coming to her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry like a baby. “And…Oh golly I feel awful for saying this but…you know how Susie is usually kind of…” She chewed her lip, trying to find the least offensive word to describe her thoughts. “…homely?”

                Rudolph Holiday gave a sheepish smile and nodded. The awkwardness of a girl talking about her crush like that was not lost on him.

                “Well…I know it’s dumb and stupid, but it was always kind of…comforting to me. Like she didn’t dress that well or look that great…like …I mean…what I want to say is…” Ugh, it was hard to say this without calling Susie outright ugly, which was far from the truth.

                Rudy chuckled a little and nodded. “I get where you’re coming from, it made you feel less pressured.”

                Noelle smiled appreciatively. “Yeah. Right. I just…felt like she was more attainable, is all. But…today was…different.” A pause, as Noelle thought back to that vision of beauty pushing through the doorway to school. “She…she looked amazing. Like…really, really amazing.” The doe whispered, frowning.

                “Oh, golly dad, you should have seen her! Her hair was washed and shiny and her teeth were perfect and gold and she even had new clothes!” Noelle cried, hopping to her feet in excitement. “She looked like she did in my dreams!” She blushed, covering her mouth with a hand at that admittance…you didn’t tell your father certain things.

                He didn’t seem to care much, as he just smiled and gestured for her to continue.

                “And I just…I fell apart.” Noelle slumped back into her chair, cringing as it creaked beneath her. “I mean…I barely had a chance before! And now?!” Her head lowered, as did her voice. “Why would she ever want a boring, fat nerd like me…?”

                “Hey hey hey!” Rudy cut in, making Noelle lift her head up in surprise. “I will not have you talking about yourself like that!”

                “But it’s true dad!” She whimpered out. “I’m boring and nerdy and…just look at me! I hit two hundred thirty pounds last week!” Face full of pain, she grabbed at either side of her paunch and gave it a shake. “I’m just…”

                “Hey! Now you stop that right now!” Rudy barked, eyeing his daughter with a stern face as she gasped, turning back to him with tears in her eyes. He sighed and took a tissue from the table next to his bed and wiped her eyes ever so gently. “You can’t think like that, sugarplum. It’s not true.”

                “Yes, it is!”

                “No, it’s not! You are a wonderful young woman with a good heart and a good head on her shoulders! You are a prime catch! Anyone, especially Susie, would be ecstatic to have you!”

                He looked over his daughter’s face, and frowned, seeing she wasn’t convinced. With a sigh, he leant back in his bed. “I know. I know. It doesn’t mean as much coming from me. But it is true, Noelle. I get people saying how adorable you are all the time.” He smiled. “You just need some…confidence. That’s all.”

                Noelle sniffled, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

                “. . .You know I felt the same way you do, at your age.”

                She paused and looked up at her father in a mixture of wonder and confusion. “You…did?”

                “Yep.” Rudolph shook his head for a moment, before coughing into his fist. “I looked pretty awkward as a teenager. I was so skinny as a rail I used to drape XL shirts over myself just to give the illusion that I wasn’t such a stick. But everyone knew I was.” He blew a short raspberry, chuckling. “’Rudy the Rail’. That’s what they used to call me.”

                “That’s…awful, dad.”

                “Yeah, well, kids will do that. It’s just a fact of life.” He shrugged and smiled. “It doesn’t bother me anymore, and you know why?”

                “Why?”

                “Well, see. When I was a kid, I did most anything to be ‘cool’. Even kind of ran with a bad crowd for a little while…tried to be someone I wasn’t. But then I met Asgore.” Rudolph started to smile, and then grin, and then outright laugh. “The big dork. Imagine him as a teenager, he was the size of a truck but had the demeanor of a puppy! People made fun of him all the time.” Rudy looked off to the side with a strained smirk. “I uh…even did a few times.”

                Her dad made fun of someone?! Noelle couldn’t believe her ears!

                “But you know what? After a while I noticed, he never let it get to him. Heck, he would share cupcakes with the bullies. And we’d still be spouting insults at him. He’d just smile and wish us well before moving on. It was baffling! But also…awe-inspiring.” The elder monster shook his head once more. “I didn’t understand how it never got to him, so one day I finally asked him. And he just smiled and said-” Rudolph put on his best impression of his best friend. “‘I’m just being me. It’s better than being someone else, right?’” Another shake of his head and a grin. “We started talking, and…well, since then we were the best of buds. Asgore helped me just…be myself. And after a while the bullying seemed to just…turn into a dull roar…I barely even noticed it! I found a confidence I never knew I had…and heck, even started dating your mom…who I had admittedly been pining after for a while.”

                Noelle listened quietly, taking in every shred of information in her father’s story…she never heard this one before. In fact, thinking of her father as a shy young monster was kind of…crazy! The Rudolph Holiday she knew was never shy about anything!

                “Look, sugarplum, the point is: Don’t try to be someone else, okay? You’re a wonderful person, and the sweetest daughter a dad could ever want.” Rudy rested a finger under her chin and lifted her head up.

                “I…but it’s hard…I always think-”

                “Yeah, that’s the hard part, remembering that. I had trouble with it too. But…I came up with a solution.”

                “…What was it?”

                “I made a list of what I liked about myself, and whenever I felt down, I took a look at it. Repeated it to myself.” A soft pause so the ailing monster could have a short coughing fit. “Mmf…sorry. But what do you like about yourself, Christmas Present?”

                Noelle thought…she thought long and hard, eyes drifting about the room as if the answer was hidden in the tiles of the ceiling or the paint of the walls. A few strands of her golden locks fell in front of her face, and as she pushed them back, she felt their softness drift between her fingers. “I. . .I have really nice hair.”

                “That you do, sweetheart.”

                Spurred on by the encouragement, Noelle thought harder. “And…and I’m a good friend!”

                “That you are! Catti can certainly attest to that, I’m sure.”

                “Right! And…and…I’m smart!” It was so silly, but somehow, Noelle felt…better. Spouting out these simple little things she liked about herself seemed to quiet the negativity in her head. It made her feel good! And somehow, even better than the confidence she felt this morning in the school hallway.

                “Smart-as, sweetness.”

                “And…um…” And all the sudden the doe hit a brick wall. Thankfully, her father was there to help her along.

                “And you have beautiful eyes, and a gorgeous voice.” He offered to her with a smile.

                “. . .And the best dad in the world!” She remarked with a giggle.

                “Aww, you’re gonna make me blush! Come ‘ere, you!” Rudy grabbed at his daughter as she gave a short squeal, bringing her into a firm hug once more. “One more thing: You are the best Christmas present anyone ever got.” The bedridden monster whispered, kissing the top of his offspring’s head.

                Noelle smiled, hugging her father nice and tight. “Thanks dad.”

                “I love you, Noelle.” He whispered, kissing the top of her head.

                “I love you too, dad…”

<♥♥♥>

                Noelle walked out of the hospital with a smile on her face that not even the harshest winter breeze could freeze away. Her dad was so great! He had even gotten the nurses to give her a lunch…which was good because the little doe had realized very quickly how hungry she was, once her mood had improved.

                With confidence she walked through the thin layer of snow on the sidewalk, head held high and a song in her heart.

                _Dad was right…what was I worrying about?_ She thought to herself, absentmindedly shaking her head. _I may not be a supermodel but-._ She paused, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, mumbling off her list to herself. Negative thoughts had no place in her head!

                Once she opened her eyes, however, she saw a familiar figure lumbering through across the sidewalk towards the top of the hill. Well, more of two figures, but the larger one was the one she was more concerned about.

                Like long, gnarled claws reaching up from a shadowy place, her doubt crept into her mind, making her smile falter. A hand came up and she nibbled on one of her mittens, tugging at the cotton threads with her teeth.

                And then suddenly, all she could picture was her dad, in his teenage years – or at least how she pictured him as a teenager. A slide show of his life leading up to the present played in her head, and moxie took hold of her soul once more. Standing up straight and adjusting her clothes, she marched herself over to the two without fret.

                Well…without much fret, at least. She was still scared, but she was also determined. Today was the day.

                “H-H-Hey! S-S-Susie!” Noelle’s voice awkwardly cracked, and it made her want to run away, especially as Kris and Susie stopped and turned their heads towards her. It was hard to tell – what with their hair covering their eyes - but she was sure they were both quirking a brow at her. Still, she held firm, and made her way closer.

                Strangely, she saw a slight grin come to Kris’s features as she walked up, and he turned to Susie to speak. “I’m gonna go on ahead, see you at my place.” He said, making the lizard shoot him an almost frantic look. She opened her mouth to speak but it was too late, Kris was already sprinting up the hill towards his house.

                Susie snorted, her chilled breath billowing out of her large nostrils like a mighty dragon. Fear tried to clutch at Noelle’s soul, bring it down into the depths of doubt, but she fought against it with every fiber of her being.

                So, there she was…standing in front of – for all intents and purposes – the love of her life. Her knees knocked together as she looked up at her with a blush, mouth half open. Little by little her little nose started to radiate a crimson glow, but she thankfully didn’t notice.

                _She’s so gorgeous…_ Noelle thought, envisioning her like a valiant knight, as she often did, billowing hair and cape, ready to save her from the evil of the world.

                It was a few moments of silence, before someone spoke, Susie. “Uh. . .Yeah?” She grunted out, crossing her arms impatiently.

                Noelle squeaked in fright as that gravelly voice pulled her out from her thoughts. _Focus, Noelle, focus!_ “O-Oh! I…s-sorry. I uh…I uh…lost my train of thought for a minute.” She mumbled, looking off to the side and rubbing her arm.

                Another awkward silence, lightly broken by Susie shifting her massive feet in the blanket of slush.

                Finally, Noelle took a deep breath, and spoke her piece. “S-So…you know how I always give people gifts the last day before winter break, because you know it’s Christmas and everything and I just like giving gifts and stuff because that’s what you do on Christmas and I like to see people smile an-“ She gasped, slapping a hand to her mouth as her face flushed more crimson. _Don’t ramble like an idiot, come on! Get to the point!_ “S-Sorry. I uh…” She couldn’t admit her nervousness, so she just let that sentence trail off.

                Susie just continued to eye her; stoic visage mostly unchanged. “. . .Yeah. You usually put gingerbread men or something in my desk.”

                “R-Right!” Oh gosh, Susie actually remembered? That was a good sign! She had always just figured the saurian just chomped down on the cookies without a second thought. Sure, she might have been reading too far into it but dang it this was a tiny victory she’d hold onto! She chuckled sheepishly and pushed some of her golden locks back behind an ear. “Yeah…t-that’s me. Heh heh. I uh…I was never really sure what you’d like.” She admitted.

                The former bully said nothing in response, but her head shifted off to the side.

                Noelle took that opportunity to clear her throat and get to the point. “S-Sorry. I keep getting side-tracked and you probably want to get home. S-So I’ll make this quick as I can.” _Quit apologizing, Noelle, project **confidence,** not **meekness**!_ “S-So uh. Yeah. I wanted to do something um…different this year. And uh…give you your present in person!” A big, nervous smile was offered to the lizard girl.

                “…Cool?” Susie sounded perplexed, but not all together repulsed, that was a good sign!

                “Y-Yeah! Really cool! I uh…actually was going to give it to you earlier b-b-b-but…I uh…um…” She bit her lip, gaze shifting downward. “It…uh…hadn’t…come yet?” The doe was so unsure of that lie she was certain Susie would completely see through it. Oh, angels above she was so nervous, she wanted to go home and hide under her bed for a week, but something rooted her feet to the ground.

                “Bu-but…that’s not important! It’s…uh…here now! And I wanted to give it to you! I uh…I asked Kris what you like and he said you kind of like…uh…chalk.”

                The way Susie seemed to recoil slightly at that took the wind out of Noelle’s sails, making her cringe slightly as well. But it wasn’t long until she found her moxie again, shifting her backpack forward and rummaging in it for a moment. “I uh…don’t know if he was just joking or not so I uh…I can get you something else if you want, just like…let me know! But uh…I went to that crafts shop in town and I uh…got you this!” And with that, she pulled out the small package, wrapped in green and red. “Its uh…really good, and kind of expensive chalk. B-But uh…y-yeah…” Noelle wasn’t sure what else to say there, she let her voice trail off as she held out the present, eyes starting to shut in fear of reprisal and hands trembling.

                But it never came. She felt the package slowly removed from her hands, opening one eye to see.

                Susie seemed to treat the package like a priest would treat a holy relic, or an archeologist would a fossil. Her large hands clutched at it lightly, turning it over. If Noelle didn’t know better, she would have thought the lizard was reluctant to open it.

                “G-Go ahead. Um…open it!” She exclaimed, before a thought occurred to her, and she shot a strained, wavy smile at the other girl. “I-If you want! I mean…I uh-”

                “…Thanks.” Susie cut in, quietly. Meaningfully. She almost sounded a tiny bit…choked up? Why would she be like that? Noelle blinked, canting her head at the giant before her. “I uh…yeah. Thanks.”

                The awkward silence returned, as the Lizard shifted her gaze to meet Noelle’s own.

                “Y-You’re…welcome.” Noelle whispered, tearing herself away from Susie’s powerful reptilian features.

                They said nothing for a few moments more, before Susie finally spoke, her voice a bit…rushed and…nervous?! Was she…nervous?! “T-Thanks. I uh…I’ll open it at home. I uh…” A pause, as she shifted her feet. “I…I gotta go, bye.” And with that, she started marching up the hill, giving a quick wave over her shoulder.

                Noelle waved back. “B-Bye…Susie…” She watched the giant lizard disappear behind a building, giving a soft, dreamy sigh.

                But it only took a few moments for what she just did to sink in, and her eyes shot open. “Oh…Oh golly. I…I actually did it…” She muttered aloud, mouth hanging open. “I. Actually. Did it.” She repeated, bewildered at herself.

                And then all the sudden an explosion of joy shot through her body, and she stamped her feet against ground repeatedly. She did it! She did it she did it she did it! She finally did it! Her heart felt like it was flying, and her body only wanted to join it! She must’ve looked like a moron, cheering to herself in the middle of town, hopping and cavorting and dancing…but she didn’t care! It wasn’t time to care about trivial things like that, it was time to celebrate!

                “I DID IT!” She cried out, scampering excitedly about the immediate area, with a grin so big she was sure her face was going to break! “WOOHOO!” She danced and jumped and exclaimed until she found herself just falling backward into a mound of snow, panting for breath.

                “I did it…” She mumbled with a sigh, watching the sky above happily. Her mind drifted to what the future might bring…dating? Marriage?! Oh gosh…children?! She was a teenager she shouldn’t think about those things, but there she was! And of course…being a teenager she did think about the less…well…innocent things, face flushing with moderate arousal as she closed her eyes to imagine what that night might be like…

                She was so caught up in her dreaming, she nearly didn’t register her vibrating phone. Fishing it out of her jacket pocket, she answered the call without even looking at the caller. She didn’t care if it was a solicitor or what, she was too much on cloud nine. “Yeeess? Noelle Holiday speaking.” She singsongingly said.

                A dry chuckle resounded out from the other end of the phone. “Someone’s happy. Good to hear.” It was Catti’s voice, her raspy, monotone mumble was unmistakable.

                Noelle sat up with a grin. “Catti! Catti Catti Catti! I got the best news to tell you! See I-.”

                “You can tell me later. First, I got something I need to tell **you.** ”

                The doe blinked, her smile disappearing for a more perplexed visage. “…Like what?”

                “It’s a surprise. Just meet me outside the Diner after my shift, okay? I’ll tell you then.”

                “Why can’t you tell me now?”

                “Heh heh…I want to see your face when I tell you. Come on girl, give me this.”

                Noelle smiled a little bit and nodded…before realizing she was on the phone. “Yeah…sure! I’ll be there, promise!” She thought a minute, and then gave a little cheeky smile. “Can I at least get a hint?”

                “Let’s just say it’s something… **big.** ”

<♥♥♥>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably should have proofread this a bit more, but I couldn't bare to keep it to myself any longer. So here it is, the long awaited next chapter!
> 
> Really the thing that slowed me down - besides real life being a pain in the ass - with this was the SPOILERS Conversation between Rudy and Noelle. I just wasn't sure how exactly I wanted to approach it and how the dialogue would flow. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!
> 
> And I can finally move on with this story and also work on some other ideas that have been clonking around in my noggin.
> 
> Enjoy it! And I'll try not to take this long again.
> 
> ...But no promises.


End file.
